I remember it well. It was a brilliant idea for a television special. It had well known people (a talented husband and wife team), a beautiful location, and some exciting content. I thought it was terrific. I wrote the script…and re-wrote the script…then honed it again.

Then came the opportunity. One of the “known” people I wanted in the TV program was to be in Dallas performing at a certain hotel. I polished up the script, put a nice cover page on it, slid it into a professional looking presentation folder, and took it to the hotel in Dallas in hopes of connecting with this artist. It didn’t happen. The closest I came was giving it to some hotel staff person who said they would try to get it to the artist.

I waited for days. Nothing. Weeks. Nothing. And that’s when I realized the idea was dead. I soon learned that the husband-wife team were in the process of divorcing. All that work. All that writing and rewriting. All that time. Wasted.

Or was it?

Looking back, I realized I had just “gone to school” on ideas, productions, and expectations. I had actually learned a lot. And what I gained would be applied to other projects…other ideas… that DID work.

Ideas. They are what drive many of us, whether in ministry or management. An idea for a new program. An idea for a new way to accomplish something critical to the mission. But not all ideas are created equal.

Phil Cooke, television writer, producer, and media consultant, says there is a secret to having great ideas. Have lots of ideas…many of which won’t be so great. But out of the mix will come something that will click and have life, impact, and influence.

I remember the famous quote from Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb and many other innovations. He was asked how it felt to fail 10,000 times. His response?

“I have not failed 10,000 times—I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.”

We may be led to believe that our ideas have failed. That WE have failed. Not so. We are just in the process of finding that great idea that will work…and work well.

Phil Cooke understands that we do need to believe in our ideas. If we don’t think highly of them, others will have a hard time seeing their value. Cooke says:

Commitment to your ideas is important. But if you spend much time with truly creative people, you’ll discover that they live in a world of multiple ideas. They spend the day trying everything and bouncing things off the wall to see if anything sticks. If you want really great ideas—then start having more of them.

Phil Cooke says that for him, out of 100 ideas he may have, only two or three are ones he would pitch to others. Some are just stupid. Many of the ideas sound good, but just won’t work. And some ideas are not quite ready yet.

The secret is to keep coming up with ideas. And when something doesn’t work, learn why, and press on to the next idea. God has put in you a creativity that He wants you to use for His purpose and His glory.

The Apostle Paul admonished young Timothy with these words:

Do not neglect your gift, which was given you….

1 Timothy 4:14 NIV

If the Lord has placed you in an area of leadership, He will give you what you need to accomplish the task…and that includes ideas. It is up to you and me to exercise the gift God has given us.

God’s best…