Week 28 Kingdom Chat: Innovation Begins with a New Mindset – Questioning today.
Its another of our captivating weekly discussion on Kingdom chat. A big shout out to our new community members! As usual I start with an opening bible verse:
For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. Isaiah 42:19 NLT
Some of us can relate to the story of the typewriter and the computer. The typewriter was known as the main way to process documents in the 20th century. I saw a lot of people who went to school to learn typewriting as they hoped to become secretaries or start up a typesetting business. Unfortunately, (or fortunately) for some, computers became smaller in size and gradually became available to more people. While some of the typist quickly adapted and moved on to learn how to operate the computer, some were cynical about it and wished it away thinking it would not be a bother. Fast forward to today, typewriters are mainly found in the museum, (except you have a secret document that you do not want any new technology to get a hold of, LOL). Some of the younger ones have never seen one yet. This applies to every facet of life, if we don’t open our eyes to see the new, then we risk becoming irrelevant in the future.
Life on earth is in a constant state of flux and those who wait around aimlessly miss out on opportunities for growth and relevance. I love the above scripture because it tells us about God’s nature – He is new every moment. We commonly quote the scripture that, Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever and we often say that God is not man to change. This is true with respect to the essence or personality of God, but not with his modus operandi. No man ever meets God and remains the same. For every moment we spend in His presence, we experience His glory in a new way and receive visions of new things. This is the bedrock of true innovation.
We as believers ought to always remember that the power that created the world lives inside us, meaning if we tap enough into it, we will have access to hidden ideas that will change our world. God spoke in Isaiah 45:3 that he will give us access to treasures of darkness and riches stored in hidden places. The question is what God asked in our opening scripture, “Do you not see it?” or I should say, “ can you see it ?”. Isn’t it surprising that it is “believers” who seem to oppose change a lot but God says, “I do a new thing”. Little wonder that when our Lord Jesus came His first message was to “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand”. As @phil4krist will always stress, repent means, metanoo which refers to a change of mindset, it is the renewing of the mind. Until we learn to question our today, we may never change for the tomorrow that we desire.
We are taught the basic management principle to always ask, “why?” I believe this is the foundational question of innovation. It itches me to see people who do not want to develop or do things in a new way. Someone said that the definition of insanity is to do the same thing in the same way and hope for a different result. Its sad to see countries, churches, organizations who do not plan their future. They move in circles of the same events – maladministration, misappropriations, wars, industrial actions, insecurities, failures and yet do not learn from them to devise new ways of tackling these. Living in Britain, I see a large generational gap in Christianity because the older generation probably thought that that new generation would follow suit with their lovely traditional ways of worship, but they lost the new ones due to lack of innovation. Its not that the younger generation do not love worship, but they do not know how to fit in. Jesus said that if a new wine is put in an old wine skin, it will burst, and both become wasted. We must think of the next generation. Its our duty to see into the future and bring it to being today. The future you desire is the seed God has placed in your heart for innovation. I always look out for new ways to make my life and that of those around me easier. This is what drives my thoughts on innovation. I search for new books, ideas, products, apps, gadgets, and relationships that will challenge my status quo. Remember, the eyes cannot see what the mind does not know. You need to expose your mind and for the believer, the Holy Spirit guides us into the truth in what we are exposed to.
Do you feel frustrated at where you are now, or the way things are being done around you? Do you find yourself questioning the way things are going and feel it could be better? You are not weird or alone in this. Its time to get up and start today to bring that new business, career, relationship, organization, product, idea etc. into existence. You may be the change your environment has been crying for. It does not matter if it has never been done before, you may just have to be the first. Do not be in the murmuring and complaining team, you are too big for that. We are change agents; we have the power for Change in our world!
Discussion point:
Have you ever had an idea of changing or doing something new in your home, school, work, relationship etc.? Did you eventually carry it out? What did you find challenging in carrying this out or that made you unable to do it.?
Please click on the title to comment. I look to forward to our chat.
- 8 Replies
Trusted
Kingdom Pioneer Wow @michael, this is wonderful. You made some salient points here that will take time to digest. I was stirred up by the statement “Your eyes cannot see what your minds doe not know.” There is no better way to put this – we must seek to expose our minds to knowledge, starting with divine knowledge given by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit grants us new perspectives so we are able to see the new out of the old. We are able to the hidden treasure (Isaiah 45:2-25). This was exactly what Jesus first announced to the Jews when he started preaching to them. “Repent” in other words, gain a new mindset and you will see the innovation, the kingdom and the new. I can go on and on because this is so good and thoughtful.-
Verified
Kingdom Pioneer
Thank you@phil4krist. So true. It is the change of our way of thinking that opens the door to seeing new things. It makes us amenable to divine inspiration because we can believe that anything is possible. Spending time with the Holy Spirit is our secret for creativity and innovation.
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Trusted
Kingdom Pioneer
👍🏿 The Holy Spirit is the spirit of innovation and divine creativity.
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Verified
Kingdom Explorer
Inspiring write up! I really appreciate the focus on innovation, the focus on divine creativity and we drawing from the source of all gifts -the father of lights…When we resist change and improvement We get stuck in old season …Let’s embrace new beginnings.
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Verified
Kingdom Explorer
Yes! I did have an 💡 idea’ One that I implemented and used to strengthen my memory years back , when learning I realize that I was a visual learner and for things to stick to my mind I had to create charts so whenever I was learning I will always be able to try to break down the concept into a very beautiful board that I’ve carefully put together and associate my own symbols with different topics and what reminded me of things; so this personal life style of learning increase my memory because it was sentimental and when I learned that way I didn’t forget things, so that was my own innovative spike to learning and with that method I feel like I can learn any topic that I put myself to, especially in my way of taking information.
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Verified
Kingdom Pioneer
Thanks @Rebecca. This is an inspiring testimony. You know many people fail because they have not understood what works for them. Its like a fish being asked to climb a tree. So I like that you knew what works for you. There are different kinds of learners, the visual, the audio and the kinaesthetic learners who prefer to feel things like in workshops or 3d images. Knowing this can be an innovative way to deal with yourself, your clients and even your children, Helping to create better appreciation and value in each communication. I remember when I was teaching some college students years ago, when digital technology was in a nascent stage, I usually would bring printed images of what I was teaching about to help them see it and register better in their minds. This made them learn better and faster. So we can be creative in every task we given to do. Great!
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Verified
Kingdom Explorer
@Michael, what a wonderful post. There’s enough here for 3-part sermon series! In terms of trying something new in my own life, the first thing that comes to mind is parenting style, especially when it comes to educating Joshua and encouraging his independence and intellectual, emotional and spiritual development. I think I’ve always had a sense that small children are capable of far more than we give them credit for. So I started Bible verse flashcards with him when he was 1 yr old, and he memorized verses like 1 Tim 3:16 and Joshua 1:9 so quickly! I created “character cards” so we have been having conversations about good character and the fruit of the spirit since he was 2. I try not to “baby” him but instead encourage him to try things for himself so that he learns what he is capable of. I agree it’s important to expose yourself to knowledge, wisdom and best practices that are out there with the Holy Spirit’s leading. This year as I was researching preschool options for Josh, I came across an education philosophy called Montessori. I was familiar with it before but as I studied it more this year and got a certification, I realized that the entire philosophy and its principles align really closely with what I had been inspired by the Holy Spirit to do with Joshua. Had I not taken the initiative to seek out more knowledge about early childhood education, I would have missed out on so much that God wanted me to know.
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Verified
Kingdom Pioneer
Thanks a lot @purposefaith for the wonderful examples you’ve given. You are an example of innovation in child care which is evident in the forum, parenting little ones. I’m sure you’ll have more to tell us with the arrival of the little princess. As stated here, many times people just want to get married and have kids on autopilot, without a clear plan of what they want out of the relationship. This is the source of the restlessness and unfulfilled expectations which engender strife, bitterness and dissensions. Thanks for letting us know we can actually study a few materials or courses to refresh or sharpen our parenting or marital skills.
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