Have you ever stopped to think about who invented the wheel or who first discovered fire? It’s easy to assume that these were inventions created by brilliant minds, but what if I told you that people didn’t actually invent anything?
To begin, it’s crucial to clearly define what we mean by “invention.” Generally, an invention is something that is created by a person or group of people, usually to solve a specific problem or meet a need. Examples of inventions include the telephone, the airplane, the computer, and the lightbulb.
One of the issues with the idea of invention is that it assumes humans can create something entirely new. However, some argue that this is impossible. According to this perspective, everything we “invent” is simply a discovery of something that already exists in the world.
While many things we think of as inventions may be discoveries, this doesn’t mean humans have no role in the process. In fact, human ingenuity and creativity are essential for uncovering and utilizing these discoveries.
Think about Thomas Edison’s light bulb. The principle, the materials, and the formula that make a light bulb work are the same from the beginning of time. In year one the principle and the laws behind the light bulb were the same. But did Thomas Edison create the principle or the space in which that principle would work correctly? Did Thomas Edison create the materials out of thin air to construct the light bulb? Did he even create his mind, his ability to think, or his hands? No, he did not.
It’s easy to say that we are creators when we get everything from the one true Creator. Every material we use is made here from what was already here. God put the universe in place, created us and everything around us, and all the laws and principles behind everything that is and will ever be.
Matthew 7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
We are seekers, askers, and knockers. We are not creators.
There is only One Creator.
God.
Yours truly, Cristian.