Imagine

The other day I was in a store where I regularly shop, and they were having a sale. I was looking for a new top because I had just purchased some shoes and didn’t really have anything to wear with them. Rummaging through the sales rack, I came across a perfect blouse. Even though it was on sale, it was still a little pricey. However, I reasoned, “If I don’t get it, I won’t have anything to wear with the new shoes.” I tried it on. It was very cute. When I handed the blouse to the sales clerk, she commented how cute it was, which confirmed that I had made the right decision. But what happened next is every girl’s dream. When the clerk scanned the ticket, it rang up as half-off the sale price! Not only was my new blouse cute, it was a bargain. It was better than I had imagined. 

I don’t believe God works in terms of blouses and shoes, but He does love to do things for us that are better than we imagine. Ephesians 3:20 says just that. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” This is one of God’s promises for our lives -- when we dream big Kingdom dreams, God is prepared to do more than we can imagine on our own. In this verse, God isn’t promising great wealth, comfort or security. What He is promising is that a life with Him can be better than anything we ever imagined or dreamed. Why? God’s love for us is so great that He wants to be with us always and forever. He does that by taking up residence in hearts. The Bible says that Jesus, who is God, dwells in our hearts through the power of His Spirit living in us. God living in us is a privilege that is more than any of us could have ever imagined. 

So the next time you feel a little down about yourself, remember, God loves you so much He wants to take up residence in your heart. Or whenever you are unsure about taking a risk for God, know that He not only wants you to go for it, He wants to be the immeasurably-more power behind it. God is asking you to make God-sized dreams for your life. Your job is to imagine.