As a child, I was knee-high in mud and rubber boots or elbow-deep in flour. There was no in-between. My pastimes were spent exploring the great outdoors and baking delicious delicacies with my grandma. Creativity, play, and imagination came naturally. That’s the case for most children under the age of twelve.
We lose that sense of wonder and awe somewhere between childhood and adulthood. We're told "You can't be that" too many times to count, and before we know it, the dreams we once had are shattered and broken on the floor. Those around us are living their best life; meanwhile, we want to know how to be happy and find joy and satisfaction in what we do.
It's no surprise that adults today have lost sight of that charisma and charm. We've traded in lighthearted smiles for more stress and anxiety than we know what to do with. The funny thing is, when we were children, most of us couldn't wait to "grow up." I don't know about you, but childhood is often something I wish I could go back in time and visit. What if I told you that was possible?
Here are 3 things from childhood that your adult brain needs:
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1. Creativity
In Matthew 18, Jesus has a discussion with His disciples regarding who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. It's a lofty question and a loftier discussion. What's compelling, however, is how Jesus responds:
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me'" (Matthew 18:1-5, NIV).
This passage highlights that children are important to Jesus. No matter where He was going or what He was doing, He always had time to stop for the children. This baffled the disciples. Many times they told people (including kids) to stop bothering "their" teacher. But "their" teacher rebuked them plainly with these words:
"People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them" (Matthew 10:13-16, NIV).
While these two passages mainly speak about the importance of remaining childlike in our hearts, children were seen as a symbol of openness, creativity, and ingenuity. Let me give you a practical example: When you were a child, how did you spend most of your days? Did you like to ride dirtbikes or swing on the swings? Would you prefer to color after a warm bubble bath or snuggle down in your comforter listening to your favorite tunes? It sounds simplistic, crazy, and too good to be true, but maybe Jesus encouraged us to be like children because children have one thing right: They know how to create.
The minds of those under twelve are incredibly vast. While children may lack common sense and their pre-frontal cortex isn't fully developed to make the best decisions, their creativity is expansive. A study conducted by NASA found that 98% of four and five-year-olds were considered creative geniuses. However, within 5 years, only 30% of those children maintained the score. Today, we're 96% less creative than we once were.
One of the best ways to bring this creativity back to life is to learn from the kids around you. And this doesn't mean you have to be a mom or dad! Kids are all around us and come in many ages, shapes, and sizes.
While I am a former teacher and interacted with high school students daily, some of the biggest kids I know are in their thirties and beyond. The truly beautiful souls are those in their eighties and nineties, like my Memo, still glowing with youthful creativity.
Proverbs 16:31 says, "Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness" (NIV). I can't help thinking that gray hair came from living a life of creativity, play, and imagination.
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2. Play
Similar to creativity, play is an essential component of our mental health. Coming from someone who struggles with an addiction to work and productivity, play is something I could use more of in my life. What about you? Can you relate?
In the early 1940s, the 40-hour work week was established to improve work conditions and reduce the poor working conditions that followed the Industrial Revolution. The goal was to prevent exploitation and create a better work-life balance.
While God created us to work (Genesis 2:15), He also created us for play. Unfortunately, most of us go overboard on the former rather than the latter. Don't get me wrong. Work is an essential act that gives us purpose and motivation. There are hundreds of Bible verses about working hard, not giving into laziness, and being determined. But work is not to come at the expense of our sanity.
God tells us to enjoy life (within the confines of His Law) because it's far too short:
"So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 8:15, NIV).
God tells us to work hard and enjoy the fruits of our labor:
"This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart" (Ecclesiastes 5:18-20, NIV).
God tells us to make a living, but not be anxious over our toil:
"It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones" (Psalm 127:2, NLT).
How do we work hard and enjoy play? We can start by seeing work, play, and rest as gifts from God. Even before the fall of mankind, these things were given to us in the Garden of Eden. We were created to serve, have fun, and rest in His promises. One practical way to implement this in your life would be to keep track of how much you're working and how much you're playing.
As a child, my parents taught me that homework came first while games and fun came second. As adults, priorities, responsibilities, and family duties must come first. But that doesn't mean we can't also have play. It must become a priority too.
Making intentional plans for these joyous moments could be as simple as winding down with your favorite book in the evenings, scheduling a fun workout class with friends, or going on a date night with your spouse. Play doesn't have to look crazy or require planning, but it does need to be important to you.
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3. Imagination
Along with creativity and play, the ability to dream and imagine are long-forgotten skills. Gone are the days spent daydreaming, staring at the clouds in the sky, or talking about who and what we want to become as adults. Why?
I've often heard that ignorance is bliss. While I don't love that statement, it has some truth to it. The more we know and learn about the world, including what is and isn't possible, the less creative we become. Here's a practical example: Did you ever want to be a dancer, astronaut, movie star, chef, ______ (you fill in the blank with your creative, cool job idea here), and someone told you it was unrealistic? Me, too.
Being realistic in life is good. It keeps us from being let down and prevents heartache. But if we never allow ourselves to dream and explore, if we never allow ourselves to imagine and color outside the lines, will we really experience the fullness of joy that God has for us?
We serve a creative and imaginative God. He is our Creator. And it took imagination to create. Look at the world around you. Skies are painted like cotton candy. Mountains tremble and quake with the deepest shades and textures I've ever seen. Oceans roar and lightning strikes. The world points to one clever visionary. A master architect who created you so you, too, could imagine, picture, and dream.
In Ephesians 2:10, Paul notes that we, you and I, "Are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (NIV). The ESV says we are God's workmanship. The NLT notes we are His masterpiece.
It takes imagination and creativity to call something you've designed a masterpiece. That isn't a light definition given to just anyone. And yet, that's what God called you and me when He created us. He also uses those words to describe what's possible if we believe in faith and ask Him:
"God is able to do far more than we could ever ask for or imagine. He does everything by his power that is working in us" (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIRV).
Most people think of imagination and creativity in times of creative arts—dancing, painting, singing, dancing, writing, etc. While I love all those things, imagination can also mean using your God-given talents to solve problems in the world. By tapping into that vision, we can reflect the image of a Creator who created us for good works beyond our wildest imagination.
Like play or creativity, imagination requires us to think outside the box. Simply spending a few minutes journaling a God-sized dream or ambition is a great way to practice integrating this skill into your life. Over time, implementing these habits could improve your mental health. I know they've sure helped mine!
Agape, Amber
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Originally published Tuesday, 24 September 2024.
