Don't Lose That Thought!
Nolan Bushnell, the father of electronic gaming, creator of the Atari video game system, and founder of Chuck E. Cheese once stated, “Everyone who’s ever taken a shower has had an idea. It’s the person who gets out of the shower, dries off, and does something about it who makes a difference.”
There are times when a good idea is in fact a God idea. Those moments when the supernatural displays itself in your insight.
The challenge is that when you get a God idea, you need to capture it. In the words of the Apostle Paul, you need to “take captive” that thought and “make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5b).
For most of my life, I’ve heard this verse interpreted in negative terms. That we are not to allow sinful or negative thoughts to take root. “Take that thought captive!” And, to be sure, that’s important.
However, could it be that there’s a way to interpret this verse in positive terms?
Could it be that this verse is not just about capturing sinful thoughts and keeping them out of our minds? That it’s about capturing insightful thoughts and keeping them in our minds?
Along these positive lines, the first portion of the text calls us to take every thought captive. So how do you capture that good thought? One of the best ways is through an “idea notebook.”
An Idea Notebook
An idea notebook could be a literal notepad or journal, or it could be an app on your phone or the voice recorder feature. Just some means of capturing your ideas in the moment. I’m old school, so just give me paper and a pen!
You can place idea notebooks in any number of places – in fact, the more, the better.
Put a notebook in your car. I’ve had all sorts of ideas while driving; but failing to write them down, they can be lost. Thus, I’ve actually pulled off the road to write down an idea that came.
Put a notebook on your nightstand. On many occasions, I’ve had ideas that came while lying in bed, sometimes through a dream. Taking the time to get up and write them down has proven worthwhile many times – even at the loss of some sleep.
Put a notebook near your Bible. Some of my best ideas were triggered during my personal devotions. Rather than feeling bad that I was distracted from the Lord, I considered the possibility that the distraction was actually a gift from the Lord.
Some of my best ideas were triggered during my personal devotions. Rather than feeling bad that I was distracted from the Lord, I considered the possibility that the distraction was actually a gift from the Lord.
Periodically read through your idea notebooks. Nothing might seem to be noteworthy at first, but on occasion, something might jump out at you.
These ideas can come from any number of sources. Something you observe, something you hear, something you read. A conversation you have, a situation you find yourself in. And, in the midst of this, a mental lightbulb goes off.
When that happens, make note of it – even if you don’t quite know what it means. Literally putting a pen to an idea can help to crystalize it and clarify it.
And if this good idea is in fact a God idea, you will discover that the Spirit of God, by way of confirmation, will bring it up again and again.
If a good idea is in fact a God idea, you will discover that the Spirit of God, by way of confirmation, will bring it up again and again.
Act on That Idea
The second portion of the text is a call to make it obedient to Christ. Obedience is always costly and good ideas often require blood, sweat, and tears to bring them into reality.
Good ideas often require blood, sweat, and tears to bring them into reality.
If good ideas were easy to act on, someone would have already done so. But most are unwilling to pay the price to pursue the idea.
As I look back at some of the God ideas I’ve had over four decades of ministry, they all began with taking a thought captive and then pursuing the idea:
The idea of building without debt.
The idea of pursuing racial diversity.
The idea of launching a non-profit to resource pastors.
You don’t have to be an entrepreneur like Nolan Bushnell to make the most of an idea. You simply need to capture it and lean into it. Who knows what might result?
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