The Transformation Project Daily Devotional – Day 1 Creation Object Lessons
This devotional will focus on change… becoming better people, families, and leaders – striving to be the change we want to see in this world.
When I begin thinking about sharing some of my thoughts on the Bible and how it can help us to see the change we need to embrace and then act on it, I must begin in Genesis One.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth… Then God said, ‘ Let there be light.’ And God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness…” Gen 1:1a & 3a
You maybe thinking, this is pretty simple stuff, what’s the point, and how does it relate to change? Or you may be the person who is just interested in seeing where this is going. Regardless of where you are – There is a lot right here to talk about that you may not be considering.
The thing that pops out at me is that the first thing God did was to create. As our example of leadership, God created and it was good. Think about that for a moment – good leaders create good things. But then he separated what he just created from its opposite – light from darkness. In other words, he created a boundary. If we were to read the rest of the creation story, we would see that there were boundaries setup so that the created could flourish.
What does that mean to us?
First, if we want to be a good leader, we have to be agents for change and constant improvement. Each of us is a leader, regardless of whether we have a title or not. A leader is simply someone who has influence in the lives of others. With that being said, what change do you see that needs to happen in your world? I believe that we should always be humble enough to begin with an honest look at ourselves and be willing to be the change we so want to see in others and the world. If we begin there, the people we influence will see the example of good and likely be inspired to follow.
Second, since we are looking at ourselves first, we need to examine our boundaries. Do we have healthy boundaries? Do we even have boundaries? What boundaries should we have? I encourage you to read the rest of Genesis 1 & 2 with boundaries in mind. When I read this account, I see God creating and then creating boundaries for each part of creation. The stated purpose of the boundaries is so that each thing can flourish and grow. I believe that when we create boundaries in our own lives, it gives us space to flourish and grow as well. As leaders, when we model this in our lives, we give space for others to witness this in an experiential way, that speaks far louder than words.
Third, I want you to see the use of the word “GOOD”. It is used at the end of each day of creation, and sometimes more. In seminary we learned about the “laws of biblical interpretation”. One of the ones that I like the best is the “law of first usage.” This means that the first usage of a word, is most likely the intended meaning of the word throughout the Bible. In other words, God uses the word “good” to describe His creation. At other places in the Bible, He uses the word good to describe what He has planned for us – Jeremiah 29:11, what He is doing on our behalf – Romans 8:28 and others. (If you do not know those passages, I encourage you to read those as well today.
The Bible has so many things to teach us, if we will spend a few moments to embrace it.
The final thing I want to say is this – as leaders in our families, churches, schools and workplaces, we can be a light that creates and builds up – becoming the change we want to see in our world. If we want people to follow our lead, we need to become leaders that we would want to follow. If we will take these lessons and apply them to our heart and lives, we will change the world by leading them to the One who created us all.
In the name of Jesus Christ!
By His Strength,
Dr Cliff
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