GOD’S CREATIVITY FROM THE BEGINNING

As soon as you open the Bible, you are rushed with creativity. The first ten words of Scripture say, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1). It is arguably the most divinely epic love story where we see that God is the original Creative. “Creator” is the first name God reveals to us about Himself in scripture. He is CREATOR. He is not “a” creator or someone who simply “creates,” He is THE Creator, because “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3). His first display of creativity is speaking into existence the earth and the heavens. That is how powerful He is. When this text was initially written in Hebrew, the name given to God in Genesis was Elohim, Mighty Creator. Elohim (e-lo-HEEM) is the plural form of El or Eloah, one of the oldest designations for divinity in the world. Psalm 19:1–2 says that all of creation “pours forth speech” about how great God is. This means creation constantly shouts to all who see it, saying, “Look! There is a God, and He is responsible for all of this!”

And so God as Creator was first revealed to us through our surroundings: the plants, water, sun, and mountains. The Lord continues in Psalm 139 and Psalm 51:10 to show us that He not only created, but He is constantly creating. You and I are God’s most prized creation. We were knitted together. Have you ever seen someone knit or weave? It is intricate and requires countless loops, wraps, and tucks around the needle or hook. Ultimately, you will find a magnificent work of art created from a single string. God took even more detail in creating us. He spoke the universe into existence, but when it came to His children, He got more involved, using His whole being, and more intimately, made us in His likeness. We are wonderfully made.

Consider the embodied process of how God created mankind. He scooped us from the dirt (body) as Elohim, breathed into our nostrils (breath) as Ruach Elohim where His spirit brought us to life (spirit), where one day our body will return to earth, but our souls will live in Eternity (soul) with our glorified body. There was a process—a beginning, middle, and end.

In yoga, specifically in Christ-centered practices, we fold all of these aspects of creativity into a multidimensional experience of mind, body, soul, and spirit while weaving in scripture. Asana (body), pranayama (breath), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (contemplation) are a few aspects of yoga that one might teach or experience in a class. From the teaching perspective, there is a creative order to guide a class. One wouldn't go straight into asana without engaging the breath or jump into stillness and contemplation without meditation on scripture or movement. A yoga teacher surely applies some measure of creativity to consciously guide a class through seated breath work, grounding, intention setting, movement, and stillness.

If you are a yoga teacher reading this, know you are creative! If you are a student, know that you, too, are creative with options to move in a way that honors your body and practice no matter what instruction is given. How awesome is it that the God who formed us and gave us life also gives us a creative mind and curiosity to seek time with him on our yoga mats?! So whether you write, draw, paint, sculpt, sing, act, photograph, or do anything creative, remember that you bear the image of the Creator who made the heavens and the earth. Praise God the Creator!

Meditation Prompts & Scripture:
• What do you see in your daily surroundings that show you God is Creator?
• What does it mean to you that you are fearfully and wonderfully made?
• What does it mean for God to “Create a pure heart”? Do you see evidence of this in your own life?“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” —Genesis 1:1
“I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” —Psalm 139:14
“Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me.” —Psalm 51:10