Read Genesis 1:1-2:3
The New Year has arrived, and I just finished some projects from last year. Now, I’m supposed to plan and set goals for my writing in 2010. But, I just don’t feel like it. I have no exciting ideas. No motivation. No inspiration. How about you? Are you having a hard time gearing up for the New Year?
My Bible reading plan starts the year with the creation story in Genesis. I dutifully read the creation story for gazillionth time, not expecting to gain new insight. But, guess what I learned? God started with a formless earth and not much else. God’s Spirit hovered over the waters until he was ready to begin. The first creation, light, led to other creations, each one more marvelous than the previous one. And God’s crowning achievement, humankind, was created in his own image. After the flurry of creative activity, God rested and made the day of rest a holy day.
Could it be that we all just need a break? Maybe we need to let our agendas be “formless and empty,” (Genesis 1: 1) like the world was before God worked his wonders. Once we’ve rested, might the ideas and the motivation flow again? Since we are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:9), can we not use God’s creative process as our model?
Prayer: Lord, teach us to take a break from the activities that crowd our days. Help us realize that sometimes doing nothing recharges our batteries and makes us more effective. Watch over us in the New Year as we seek to do your will. Amen.
