Tag Archives: more than you can imagine

Aspiring to be more than we could imagine

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I think most of us aspire to be like someone we admire. It could be a teacher, friend, public figure, close relative, or that rare politician who looks to God for their wisdom. We look at the way they handle things and contemplate their wisdom, devotion, excellent skills, their way with words, their sense of calm and peace in the face of adversity, their compassion and living faith.  We might think, “I’d like to be more like them.” On the one hand, God created us to be us, unique in our own way. At the same time he calls us to aspire to such goodness, encouraged by others and stretched to let his transforming power change us into his likeness.

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” Ephesians 5:1-2

 

These days I’m reading through the book of Revelation. In the opening chapters, John tells of how he was commanded by the Spirit of God to write to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. And then in a vision he saw seven golden lamp stands and also someone in their midst. The words he uses describes only Jesus. (the son of man, the one who conquered death and now lives, the first and the last, who holds the keys to death and Hades. The lampstands were the churches who would carry the light of Jesus.

 

It’s common today for some folk to think of “the church” as a building with a particular brand name on it. In reality, the bible clearly says that we believers are the church, an active and living entity. Consider the words God gave to John to describe these seven churches. Which one would best describe your life and which would you most aspire to be?

The church at Ephesus: hardworking and persevering, but having forgotten their first love (for Jesus).

The church at Smyrna: “rich” in afflictions and poverty, and urged to continue on in their faith.

The church at Pergamum: Faithful, yet also holding to idols. Believers are promised a white stone with their new name written on it . . . IF they live as overcomers, not dissuaded by things that distract them from God.

The church at Thyatira: Known for love, faith and perseverance; repaid according to their deeds.

The church at Sardis: They had a reputation of being alive but in reality, actually are dead. (Like a facade of being religious but living life without God; lacking integrity.)

The church at Philadelphia: Faithful. Lacking strength yet keeping God’s Word.

The church at Laodicea: Not hot nor cold, but lukewarm toward God. Not actively rejecting God or living passionately for him, but wishy washy in their faith. “A little bit of Jesus will do.”

 

In your prayers, thoughts and actions today, aspire to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Hold him as the whole reason you live, not just a part of your life. Be imitators of God and let him transform your life into something more than you could imagine. Live the adventure to which we are called.

 

“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,” Ephesians 3:20

 

 

 

When good desires become demands and idols

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What was on your mind when you woke up this morning? When you laid your head on the pillow last night? Was it something you strongly desire or something you dread? Or perhaps an endless list of to-do items? Do your desires have to do with your expectation of others? It’s not unreasonable to have desires for good things, harmony and productivity between employers and workers, pastors and staff and church members, individuals and their friends, children and their parents and visa versa.

 

But problems beset us when desires become demands, and demands become idols in our lives. Idols? Yes , idols can rise up from good desires just as they can from ungodly ones. In placing demands on others that they change to our liking, it becomes an easy misstep to becoming our  brother’s judge. We can become so absorbed by doing good we fail to see if those deeds are actually ordained by God.

 

And so it might have been with our call to move to the Bolivian mission field, at least in our sense of timing. We still feel the call to support the CMA mission in Bolivia. But there are many ways to fulfill that call. After all, it’s his mission, not mine! I was reminded recently:

Sometimes God changes our plans, but never his purpose for us.

 

So, we had to surrender this to God. We put it on “Abraham’s Altar” realizing that God might accept our sacrifice or, like with Isaac, present an alternate sacrifice…serving him by living in Bolivia or by spending 2-3 months each each year or by some other God-directed means. Perhaps you have dreams and aspirations that seem God ordained. Offer them to God and be satisfied with whatever he brings about. His plans are always best. Act like you believe it!

 

How are you to know if your desires and ambitions are God designed or a product of your own desires for recognition or comfort? It always starts with honestly asking the Spirit to reveal the motives of your heart and mind:

What preoccupies my attention?

Ask yourself what I need to have to make me happy, satisfied and fulfilled?

What brings me the most frustration, regret, anger, or disappointment?

 

The Apostle Paul suffered some affliction, “a thorn in his side.” Three times he asked God to remove it. After that he resigned to accept the condition as part of God’s design for him.  Joni Tada Erickson sought a number of “faith healers” before coming to the same conclusion. Does God continue to reveal miracles today? I believe so. It might be an inexplainable healing like the removal of the last bit of cancer from my body.  Or it might be an irritating delay on a trip that kept you from being involved in a tragic accident had you not been delayed.

 

We can all imagine a great number of things that would bring us satisfaction. But consider this:

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… Ephesians 3:20

 

Whatever your desire, our God is able to bless you even more than you ask or imagine. I’m asking for relief from ongoing pain for me and others I care for. I want to walk again. God might grant that. But even if he doesn’t, I will yet trust him – because he has something unimaginably better in mind, either in this life or the next.

 

Ask God for your heart’s desire in accordance to his generous and loving nature, but also trust him completely for his protection and provision for you. Ask him to reveal, even good desires that might become an idol in your life, and thus keep you from his very best.