Are You a Creator or Consumer?

As young professionals navigating a world that often feels like a constant hustle for more — more success, more stuff, more status, more money — consider this.

Are you a creator or consumer?

Said differently, are you a river or dam?

• With rivers, water flows in, through, and out, providing life.

• With dams, water stops, piles up, with no way out, leading to lifelessness.

In today’s consumeristic culture, we are taught to feed ourselves, to fill up, to hold tightly, to not share, to get ours, to receive. Much like a dam.

For example —

• Grow title ➞ to hold more power and increase status.

• Make more money ➞ to gain more possessions and comfort.

• Discover unique wiring ➞ to develop own career, power, and salary.

Reap then keep. Receiving never giving. Me-centric.

Does this dam mentality of consumption really create the joy we thought it would? Or does it slowly fade, leaving us lifeless, stuck in the cycle of more with a void that is never truly satisfied?

What if there is a better way?

Located in the Middle East is the Jordan River, Dead Sea, and the Sea of Galilee. Below is an overview of each body of water.

• The Jordan River is a lush river that flows from Jordan through Israel, providing wildlife and humans a vital water source.

• The Dead Sea is a salty basin at the lowest point on Earth (🤯) where the Jordan River ends. Outside of bacteria and algae, it is known for its lifelessness, receiving water from the Jordan River but never giving to another source.

• The Sea of Galilee is a life-sustaining, fertile body of water that acts as a connector from the northern Jordan River to the southern Jordan River. It receives water from the Jordan River then gives it away.

In summary, the Jordan River flows to the Dead Sea, leading to lifelessness. The Jordan River flows thru the Sea of Galilee, leading to life.

See the river versus dam imagery and its call to create here?

As a dam receives yet never gives water, so does the Dead Sea, reaping lifelessness. As a river receives and gives water, so does the Sea of Galilee, reaping life.

It’s almost like the Creator of the universe is trying to tell us where life to the fullest is found.

Not in receiving. But in giving. In creating. Much like the Jordan River. Much like the Sea of Galilee.

Intriguing analogy. But how can we apply this in our day-to-day life?

Instead of:

• Grow title ➞ to hold more power and increase status.

• Make more money ➞ to gain more possessions and comfort.

• Discover unique wiring ➞ to develop own career, power, and salary.

Try this:

• Grow title ➞ to leverage position of influence to serve others.

• Make more money ➞ to bless others, to invest in God’s kingdom coming.

• Discover unique wirings ➞ to use them in service to those around you in work.

Reap then give. Receive then create. Others-centric.

Creation whispers of its benefits.

So, as you consider a river versus dam mentality and its call to create, reflect on the below —

• Examine: Do you trend more towards giving and creating or towards receiving and consuming?

• Apply: How does the above show up in your family, community, career, church, hobbies? What about with your money, time, gifts?

• Practice: Where can you create this week? Who can you give to?

Remember this. Moving from a consumer to creator doesn’t happen overnight. We are always becoming. I am very much in process with this, grappling with the desire to receive and its tension with the call to give and create.

But step by step, choice by choice, with time and aid from the Helper, a shift from consumption to giving and creating can be found, leading to fullness in your career and life for the good of others.

Isn’t that what we all long for… life to the fullest? Fortunately, Jesus came to give it to us. Follow his better way of servant-leadership.

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10, NIV).

As always, let us know how we can help you navigate your world as you navigate the world.

In Your Corner.

See you next Tuesday!