The Freedom Response

Freedom to be creative through growing your gifts.

Creativity is a God-given gift to be expressed, shared with others and an element of our design to be used to help others experience God’s kingdom and his grace, wonder, amazement & glory. 

Biblically its all over the place and it starts with Genesis of how we have been given an opportunity to enjoy all of God’s creation but the choices of Adam and Eve produced a consequence of shame and hiding, along with painful labor of child birth for women and painful lifelong labor until we return to dust for men. 

Again, the consequence of The Fall is shame and hiding. 

During the time that man labored they developed skills that reflected their individual & unique God-given design, as well as, how Gods Spirit came upon man for gifts of craftsmanship to be used in acts of service or in temples to reflect the glory of God. 

Jesus was a carpenter that expressed his divine dignity along with knowledge, wisdom and understanding that came from specializing in the art and craft of building with wood and using tools. We can learn a lot from his example. 

When one is not using their gifts they can become unknowingly filled with fear and timidity as mentioned in 2 Timothy 1:6. I have met with many men in my mentoring/coaching sessions that feel as though they are not using their gifts - or they do not know what their purpose is. 

Your purpose is found, discovered or developed by taking steps of risk to pursue learning (knowledge) and understanding. You step out with experiments to make mistakes and learn from them…so, they are not really ‘mistakes’ but lessons to learn from. The thing is that we have less than ideal guides and mentors this day of age to properly learn from. Weak mentors instill shame that produces hiding (back to the Genesis consequences) to restrict our development and produce fear and timidity. 

Timidity is lack of confidence that produces hesitancy that makes us go passive. Combine this with a lack of the ability to lead into using your gifts and over time a growing sense of fear that can linger for years or even a lifetime. We develop a mindset of being a victim that comes from a hardened wounded heart that resorts to resignation, passivity & shame. 

Most mens groups I attend fall into telling stories from this wounded heart position that other guys relate to that creates pods of men telling ‘bro’ stories of how hard life is. 

They may want out of this way of living life but find the work required to gain knowledge and understanding - along with not many mentors, guides or coaches around to do so with grace, love and patience….over time - to be frustrating and not worth it. 

So - they stay misunderstood and ignorant…the opposite of understood and learning knowledge. 

Lets expand on this with looking further into 2 Timothy 1:6-7 with “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God”. This is a reminder that WE are responsible to fan into the flame the gift of God…so, how do we do this? 

I do this by stepping out of my comfort zone…over and over. I Take a faith-based risk with the intention to gain knowledge and understanding. 

This is assisted by being with a community of men - men of understanding - that call out my blind spots in love so that I can learn and take another step out of my comfort zone - to take another faith-based risk that will provide me with feedback of what is working or not working and to tweak it with the intention to gain understanding. 

I do this as a form of preparation that is needed so that when it gets really difficult that I will have strength to persist regardless of what outcome happens. This is the difference between being a leader or remaining a victim. 

You see, this is about the journey of who I am becoming designed by God….not your or my own perspective, opinion or judgment. 

I do this to see what gifts I have and to refine them over time - in union with God, and a group of men that have life giving words of wisdom to help me fulfill my purpose. 

This generally does not happen in isolation. 

When properly mentored - I am gaining knowledge, understanding and wisdom. 

Our coaching programs help specifically with this. 

There is more. 

2 Timothy 1: 6-7 ‘for God did not give me a spirit of fear and timidity but of strength, love and a sound mind’. 

This is how I walk into taking a faith based risk - with strength, a sound mind and love. 

For example, I discovered over time that I have a gift of teaching and writing. 

If I get stuck and feel as though I do not know what to write about - or, have doubt that what I have to say is not of value…I am NOT walking out my gift in freedom - I am reacting in bondage. 

To get out of this - I pray, sit in silence and ask God for his love, strength and grace. I open my heart to worship him and that I am grateful for where I am at - I camp out in this for a bit. Maybe go for a walk and just be with Him. THEN - I start writing. 

I let HIS strength, love and the sound mind of God direct my words and teaching. 

I want His spirit to direct me….not my own thoughts of doubt, judgement, or past experiences or past ‘bro’ talks to influence me. 

As I take faith based risks…I grow in HIM and then my purpose to serve others in strength, love and a sound mind is being fulfilled. 

This works in just about anything you can think about - as if you are NOT walking out your gifts you WILL develop fear and become timid in expressing your God-given gifts and stay stuck in NOT knowing what your purpose is. 

Serving others is our purpose and we do so with a sound mind, love and strength. 

You may work in one area and get asked to do something you are not used to, or you may think is beneath you, or it’s something you just do not want to do. 

You can fall back into a victim mentality and find bro’s to complain with - or you can get quiet with God, take a faith based risk by stepping out of your comfort zone with love, strength and a sound mind and find out what you are make of. Look at it as an experiment to grow your faith in. 

You will find that everyone around you - you can learn and gain knowledge from. 

You will discover that every experience - you can gain understanding from. 

Drop the pride and ego that keeps you in bondage. 

EGO stands for Edging God Out. 

Humility while serving others in love, strength and a sound mind opens doors that prepares you for the next door that God wants to develop your character in - often doing things you really do not want to do. 

Over time - you gain understanding, knowledge, wisdom and eventually you gain maturity. This is what is missing in most men’s journey. 

Read Proverbs and you will see what I wrote in that last sentence come alive with understanding, knowledge, wisdom and maturity. 

Your responsibility is to respond in freedom with love, strength, and a sound mind - even if you don’t feel like it…and take a faith-based risk - this is how discipline is formed. 

Discipline that shapes character is formed not from being motivated. 

Discipline is formed from doing things you really do not want to do but when you do…a gift is shaped. A purpose is forged. 

With love, strength and a sound mind you form understanding, knowledge, wisdom and maturity…with humility you take faith based risks…as you walk with God your gifts and purpose will be shaped and refined. 

You will become a man of understanding. 

We need more men of understanding (Proverbs 20:5) 

With this you move from being mentored all the time in mens groups and staying stuck as a mentee…to becoming a mentor to serve others - of which is one of the goals of The Freedom Response. 

You stop reacting in fear and timidity. 

You lead into and respond with freedom to serve others with your gifts that form your purpose with love, a sound mind and strength by fanning the flame as you walk with God. 

This is your training - to respond in freedom to be creative with your gifts. 

Why? 

God will give you the desires of your heart - only if you abide in him - and when you experience these desires of your heart they will be like the best gift you every been given - they are gifts that you did not know you needed. Check out Psalm 37:4 and write that out in your journal. 

QUESTION: What have you been prompted to do that you keep waiting on? 

Take a faith-based risk and tell me about it. 

Creativity is something we are all born with and it does not necessarily require art, tools or being a craftsman - it is more about walking with God into faith-based risks and learning to navigate with skills you pick up along the way that reflect discernment, wisdom and maturity - as these are the underlying tools that every artist and craftsman use to create with. 

For now, 

Scott Musgrave: Founder of The Freedom Response.