Be Your Creative Best by Uday Balasundaram

“Did you cough at me?” A 40-Day Spiritual Journey for Breakthrough Creativity, DAY 9–Gentleness

Will the Coronavirus threat make us a more humble and loving people or will it bring out the worst in us? If the “Did you cough at me?” episode that occurred on a Sydney train is any indication, then it’s scary to think of where our unbridled responses to one another in the face of danger could eventually lead. How might I have responded if…when, perhaps,…I find myself in a similar situation?

A gentle response could make all the difference. But is that too much to ask?

A key to breakthrough creativity is gentleness–giving in to what is in essence already there. Gentleness is allowing the hands of the Master Potter to bring out of the clay of humanity, the real essence or the unique defining character and characteristic of what is inherently embedded in the clay-ness of clay.

As creative beings we understand, even though we may or may not agree, the creator’s prerogative or right to create the way he or she thinks is best; to make, to discard, to destroy, and to rebuild in accord with one’s preferences. The clay is ultimately subject to the will of the creator. And so are we in the hands God.

As clay therefore what we can do is to rely on the hands that mould us and our circumstances; to trust God to do the right thing. To resist the hand of God is like clay that is losing its clay-ness, becoming hard, and very soon unfit for use. The cracking of the clay due to a lack of moisture is like the terse reaction to hardship and provocation–get louder when spoken to loudly, get ruder when spoken to rudely, at all costs, get even. For me, this is unfortunately the case mostly, and especially when I react to being provoked by the peril of my circumstance rather than the promise of God.

He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

PHILIPPIANS 2:8, THE BIBLE (NEW LIVING TRANSLATION)