On Inspiration in the Shower

OK, so weird title, I expect that on reading it some people are confused, but for others, a little light bulb clicks which reminds them that they too have great ideas in the shower.

What is it about the shower that opens the mind?

I can’t count the number of times I have been in the shower contemplating an issue, when all of a sudden the answer pops right up. Indeed, a number of times I just can’t stop the ideas from popping up…I remember one morning I actually had to stop and write them all down.

One website I browsed on the subject came up with some interesting points, from the metaphorical to the physical. Seriously, a number of people have gone to great detail to try and work it out. Most suggest that it is something to do with the relaxed state of mind, and the easiness of the process which allows those brain juices to flow.

Does a relaxed mind help us open up to God?

Well, firstly, I would ask what it means to be open with God. If we think it means that he can only speak to us when we are listening, then we are grossly mistaken:

Psalm 19:1 - “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

Everything around is tells us about the glory of God, so whether or not we choose to accept it, the evidence is there. No, when I talk about opening up to God, I am talking about us taking time to recognise that God wants to have a two way relationship with us. For some, that means a verbal conversation. And while that has only happened to me once, for others it is a regular thing.

Do we deny that it’s God just because it doesn’t happen to us?

Emotional manipulation or divine inspiration?

Recently Derren Brown sought to dispute Christianity by proving he could create an emotional response to what was perceived to be the Spirit of God. And to some extent he proved it. Well, when I say that, I mean that he proved that a conversion experience is a response to an emotional reaction. And I, along with most Christians, would agree. Surely as Christians we should be emotionally attached to our God. After all, didn’t Jesus die for us?

Shouldn’t we be falling prostrate at our creator’s feet for loving us so much?

Tangent aside, my point is this: relaxing our mind to hear the word of God must be a good thing, as long as we are careful to wheedle out the other stuff at the same time. 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 says this:

“Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.”

In other words, if you have been given a thought, and idea, or a message, why not check it out in the Bible to see if it fits with the teaching we find there.

We can’t spend all our time in the shower…

The problem I have when it comes to my memory, is that if I don’t write them down, I will soon forget what I was thinking about! Even 3 seconds later, I could have completely forgotten the talk illustration, or thing I needed to buy, or person I needed to phone. Terrible really for someone in their early twenties. I suppose we could spend hours reading books and buying mind games to improve our memories, and maybe I will. For now though, everything that’s important goes on the phone!