Where does Innovation Training Come From?

As I have watched innovators grow and develop, I often wonder how they get to be where they are? Was it all circumstance or maybe it was sheer effort. Well, in God's economy we know it was neither. We know that our understanding of God, of His values and of His direction gives us the opportunity to innovate in dynamic ways.



Recently I have been thinking alot about discipline. The nonprofit world is not all that disciplined I have noticed. We regularly miss deadlines, fail to think through issues properly and regularly invest time in things that don't have much significance. Now one could argue that it is no different from the for profit world but it seems to be allowed much easier in the nonprofit world.

After all we are working for God and He will get it done in the end . . . right?

But is that they attitude that sparks innovation? No, innovation and dynamic ministry come from a disciplined life that is finely tuned to God's voice and is willing to courageously act in God's name. How do we prepare ourselves for that kind of life?



Recently I read through a book called "Stand: unleashing the wisdom of God" by Alex McFarland. This is a small devo for young people on the book of Proverbs. As I read it I realized that one of the keys to innovation as a ministry person is learning the disciplines taught in Proverbs when we are young. That foundation is such a powerful piece of what it takes to make innovation happen.



In this short book, Alex walks through the Proverbs in a topical way based on the issues that young people are dealing with. I really enjoyed the section on leadership and self control. The idea that following God's prescriptions for life don't just lead to missing out on things that give us pleasure - they lead to significance and impact.

In the end, I think this is one of the key lessons I am learning. If I am willing to live as God asks me to, then I will be in a position to have a part in His Kingdom work. If I ignore Proverbs and other admonitions in the Bible, I will not have the Kingdom impact.

As we think about where innovation comes from, we have to go back to basic decisions like this. Our obedience to God at these basic levels will open us up to be used by Him and to innovate in incredible ways. Our unwillingness will relegate us to a life of missteps, self-focused patterns and insignificance.