Ephesians 3:20 has always been a favorite verse. I love how it captures the extravagance of God in our lives. He truly does exceeding abundantly above all that we could ever ask or think. At least that has been my experience.
I wonder how many times we have limited God in our imagination? How many times have we failed to dream with God? You see, I believe one of the chief dangers of religion is that it always keeps God in a box. We limit Him to our understanding, our definitions, and our agendas. Paul says rather expressively to the church at Ephesus that God is able to do more (immeasurably more) than we could ever ASK or IMAGINE. So...today's blog entry comes with some homework: I want you to dream with me.
What if God designed life in such a way that ensures we could encounter Him daily through other people?
What if the Bible is meant to be more than a collection of historical stories or doctrinal statements? What if it is a permission slip to enter into the same encounters as the people mentioned in it?
What if daydreaming was a way to bring dreams INTO reality rather than escaping from reality?
What if "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" was a definite statement rather than a vague question?
What if holiness is tied to who you are rather than what you do?
What if there is not shame, guilt, or condemnation in your life at all?
What if the time we gave to our families was more important than the time we give to church events?
What if the quality of our relationships means more than the amount we put in an offering plate?
What if LOVE governed everything we did?
What if LIFE was the only power found in our tongue?
What if worry was replaced with prayer? Fear replaced with Love? Doubt replaced with Hope?
What if you could actually see God?
What if you could actually hear God?
What if you could actually touch God?
What if you never sinned?
What if "all things were possible with God"?
What if "I could do all things through Christ"?
What if prayer was meant to be a dialogue?
What if we were completely confident in who we are in Christ?
What if your freedom in Christ is meant to set others free?
What if we have the ability to name what is "right" and what is "wrong"?
What if we never judged someone based upon their actions?
What if...
I could go on all day. I like questions because I believe there are answers. And I believe the answers are discovered in our relationship with Christ.
While you may already know the answers to many of these questions, the question really is are you encountering them? Are you and I allowing ourselves to dream with God? Are we willing to run with God's ideas, God's perception, and God's reality? This is where a religious mindset will always fail us. Our inability (or unwillingness) to imagine a better scenario of faith cripples our opportunities to experience God in all of His splendor. Not only does it keep us from experiencing all of God but it keeps us from experiencing all of who we were created to become.
I just believe that religion in many areas sold us a bill of goods. I also believe that the only way to get out of the cycle is the willingness to go after answers. Socrates was considered a great philosopher. He was was willing to ask questions. He always challenged the conventional thinking of his day. Of course, this eventually got him killed. The establishment doesn't like to be questioned. And unfortunately we have seen this mentality in the church as well.
The purpose of this exercise is not meant to create rebellion within the church. On the contrary, it is meant to bring each of us into a greater reality...a greater experience. The world is filled with people who have an intellectual understanding of their faith but lack experiential knowledge. I believe our faith is to bring us into an experience. Our faith in God unlocks the potential to move into the immeasurable nature of God. Let's go for it! Let's allow our faith to take us into the greatest journey we could have ever imagined! Let's allow God to do more in us than we could ever ask! Let's dream with Him!
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