God is the Original Innovator. What can we learn from Him about creating well? This bonus episode pulls out six strategies from scripture you can use right now as a framework for your own innovation.

Timestamps:

[00:05] - Intro

[00:37] - Innovation is not an accident with God--it is in His nature to be creative.

[01:16] - Strategy #1 - Know the purpose.

[02:38] - Strategy #2 - Know what you’re doing.

[04:25] - Strategy #3 - Choose and equip the right people.

[05:31] - Strategy #4 - Revise and scrap based on what you observe or realize.

[06:25] - Strategy #5 - Prepare in advance for upgrades.

[07:41] - Strategy #6 - Take time to reflect.

[08:41] - Strategy summary

[09:48] - Prayer

[10:22] - Outro

Key takeaways:

• Innovation is not an accident with God. It is in His nature to be creative, and because we are made in His image, it’s in our nature to innovate, too.
• When God innovates, He always fills a need. Know the purpose behind what you are creating and don’t create just because you can.
• God knows every detail of everything He wants made. While you might have to experiment and learn along the way simply because you’re human, take the time to develop real expertise and know the project inside and out.
• God innovates with people He trusts, and He gives them the skills and resources to get the job done. You should do the same.
• Even God made adjustments to what He made. Be comfortable making changes based on your results.
• When God wanted to change things, He gave warning and sent Jesus to help people prepare. In the same way, when you have to upgrade or make shifts, give people notice and get ready well in advance.
• The creation story shows how God took time to assess value, celebrate, and rest after his innovations were complete. After you innovate, look back, appreciate, and recharge.

CTAs:

• Apply the six innovation strategies outlined in the show in your operations.
• Visit patreon.com/FaithfulOnTheClock to become a supporting member for the show.

Happy day, everybody! I’m your host Wanda Thibodeaux, and this is a special bonus episode for Faithful on the Clock. For this show, I’m taking a look at what we can learn about innovating well from the way God created. I’ve honed in on 6 specific things He did that you can copy right now in your own work and business. So let’s not waste another second--let’s get to that list!

So I’ll start today’s episode just by reminding you that innovation is not an accident with God. We call Him the Creator for a reason, because making new stuff is something He does at just about every turn. It really is in His very nature, and I think if we are made in His image, which we are, all of us have the capacity to innovate in our own way, too. That’s just part of how we’re supposed to be. And if you look at some of the stories in the Bible, there are some amazing gems gems that you can sort of pull out and use as a framework for how to innovate well.

So Strategy #1 is, know the purpose. I think a lot of companies today, you know, they’re always pushing the envelope and talking about what’s possible. They talk about different applications, and I think there’s lots of pride in being able to say, you know, we got there first. But God it isn’t about winning a race or finding a limit, because He always wins, and for Him there are no limits. It’s always about filling a need, even if doing that is a fun or satisfying thing for Him to do. For example, in Genesis 1:26-27, when He made you and me, I think that filled a need for God to have friends and someone really special who can reflect and glorify Him. And when he gave Adam and Eve clothes in Genesis 3:21, that filled a need for some physical protection and to prevent them from feeling more shame. Even the whole food chain, you know, even the littlest bug has a role in keeping the world healthy. So don’t move forward unless you know exactly what the intent is. Don’t focus on a bunch of coulds. Narrow it down and focus on will.

The second strategy is, know what you’re doing inside and out. Don’t try and fudge it. Psalm 139:13 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” There’s not a part of any of us that God doesn’t know or intimately understand or shape. And we see that same idea in Luke 12:7, and that says, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” And I think people often point to that verse to emphasize that we have value, and of course we do, but it’s also another great confirmation in my mind that God knows every detail about us. And when you look at the instructions God gave to Noah for building the ark, that’s in Genesis 6, the instructions for building the tabernacle in Exodus 25-30, everything was incredibly specific. He knew exactly how he wanted it laid it out and He was very clear on what to do. So do your homework and don’t be satisfied with just, you know, this kind of surface-level kind of stuff just to push something through fast. You know, you’re not omnipotent like God, you might have to experiment a little, there might be some things that you or your experts don’t know the answer to, and that’s fine, it’s part of the process we have to use as human beings to get to the point where we’re really competent, but go as far as you can and really look at everything from every possible angle.

Then, the third strategy is, choose and equip the right people. There are lots of examples where God picked someone to do a specific job. One I can think of off the top of my head, Moses in Exodus leading the Israelites from Egypt. And every time, these were people He trusted to get the job done, and He trusted them because they had faith in Him. So when you look at the building of the Tabernacle again, God deliberately gave all of the craftsmen and artisans involved with that all the skills they would need to be successful. Exodus 31 starts with God pointing out who He’d chosen for the work, and verse 6 says, “Also, I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you.” So pick people you trust. Give the people who are on your team the right training, the right resources, whatever they need to do what you asked. You know, set them up to be able to get things done.

Strategy #4, don’t be afraid to revise and scrap based on what you observe or realize. And we can kind of see this in the story of the flood in Genesis 6-8, where God basically looked at people and was just so frustrated that He was ready to just wipe them out altogether. But He looked at Noah and His family, He looked at what was still good, what was working, and He used that to start over. But probably the biggest example of this revise and scrap of course I think was Jesus, because when He came, all the old ways, the old laws, we didn’t have to live like that anymore. We had a totally new relationship with God. So it’s OK to look at what you’ve gotta do, it doesn’t matter if it’s, you know, the way you used to things, just make your adjustments and move on.

Strategy #5, prepare in advance for upgrades. Philippians 3:21 talks about how Christ will give us new bodies that are like His, and in Revelation 21, that describes the new heaven and new Earth where, instead of being separated from God, we can be right there with Him. Jesus knew all of this was coming. It wasn’t a surprise. All of his preaching, all his stories, it was, to me, all just one big in-person update notification direct from the CEO to give us some warning about what to do and what would happen. In Matthew 24:44, for example, it says “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an Hour when you do not expect Him.” And Luke 12:38 says “It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak.” So don’t pretend like your old system or model never will become outdated, because of course, that always happens, and just don’t leave people in the dark. Make sure they know ahead of time what’s coming and that they’re ready to make whatever changes have to happen.

The final strategy is, when all the work is done, just take a minute to reflect. In Genesis 1 and 2 you find the creation story, and at the end of every day, what I think is so absolutely beautiful about this, God took the time to sit back and think about how good everything was. He didn’t just move on right away to the next thing. He paused and evaluated. He analyzed. He appreciated, you know, and looked around and was probably like, “Look what I just DID. How awesome is everything?!” And so I think, at least in my mind, it was as much celebration as it was rest. So, look back. See if the end result really has the value you were hoping for, then celebrate it, and take the time to recharge so that you can keep going.

So to recap all those strategies really quickly, #1, know the purpose. Don’t just create because you can. Have fun, but meet real needs. Look around you. See what people actually have to have. Fill some of those gaps. #2, know what you’re doing. Do your homework, go beyond the superficial, and dig deep into the details. #3, choose and equip the right people. Make sure you’ve got people you can trust and that they have the skills and resources that they need. #4, revise and scrap if you have to. You’ll learn things, and things might not always work, and it’s totally OK to make changes based on that. #5, prepare in advance for upgrades. Don’t leave people in the dark, because they’re not mushrooms, OK? So make sure that they know what’s coming. And #6, reflect. Take the time to assess value, celebrate, and rest.

And now that you are equipped with these tactics, I’ll close out the episode with a prayer.

God, you are the Original Innovator. Nobody creates better than You do. Let us use what You did as an example of how to move forward no matter what we hope to make, and help us to know for sure whether those innovations are in line with Your plans and whether they’ll help the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

That is a wrap, everyone. Go back to the office and apply all of those strategies, right now, today. I’ll have another regular episode of Faithful on the Clock coming at you in just a few days, so keep your eyes peeled for that to go live. Until you hit that play button again, be blessed.