The first principle of prosperity is CREATE. Prosperity comes from gaining and keeping value, wealth, money, and things we need and can use for life. So from where does value come? Where does it originate? The answer is that it must be created by a creator. The only other option is that it must be taken from a creator who created it.

God is The Creator of the universe and the earth and of humanity. He created value in his creation. We can use some of the natural resources in God’s creation for the things we need to live, but even that effort requires us to do some kind of work or creative action. We have to gather it, hunt it, fish for it, cultivate it and take care of it so we don’t ruin it.

But even more, God has endowed in humanity both the capacity to co-create with him even more value and the responsibility to do so. God created people in his image as recorded in Genesis 1:27. God is first revealed as the Creator. So to be created in the image of God is to be created in the image of the Creator. He is The Creator and he created us to be creators.

In the very next verse, we are given the first job description of humanity. “And God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, [using all of its vast resources in the services of God and man]; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:28 The Amplified Bible)

The first job description of humanity is to “Be fruitful.” In other words, don’t just go pick off all the fruit or value that God created in the world, but go be like God and create new things that are valuable. Make creation produce more, and create new things that come from your minds and hands and collaboration and the natural resources I have given you. Create new knowledge, new products, new services, new solutions, and new produce. Create new cell phones and art and architecture and medicine and food and energy and transportation and clothing and education and safety and peace.

A definition of prosperity is this: it is creating what one needs to support life, health and one’s God-given purposes. So, by that standard, how would you rate your prosperity?

A definition of create is this: create means to use your God-given mental, spiritual and physical abilities to produce new value in products, services, knowledge, or solutions that support your life, health and God-given purposes.

If you want to increase your prosperity, increase the value of what you create.

Questions: Are you using your time and talents to create the best value that you can and to create your best prosperity and fulfillment? Why do so many people think first that prosperity comes from taking the money and value that others have created, rather than thinking that they can and should create new value?