More than we Ever Imagined!

Now to Him who is able to do infinitely more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us…. (Ephesians 3:20)

Yesterday evening I went shoe-shopping with my step-daughter. She is home from college this week, and we don’t get to see her all that often, so I was excited to spend a little extra time with her. I was in search of a pair of converse-esque shoes, to replace the worn-out ones that I have had for about 10 years. We made a couple of different stops, and then ended up in Shoe Carnival. She went in search of a pair of hiking boots, and I started looking for my tennis shoes. I found a pair that I really liked, that were white and kind of lacey. They were on clearance for about 80% off, plus they were super-cute, so I was excited. A few minutes later, my step-daughter came up and said that she had seen a pair that she thought I would like, and led me to a clearance table with a whole stack of the pair that I had in my hand. When I was able to see the whole display of them, I realized that not only were these great shoes that I had cute and cheap, but they actually turned colors in the sun, like the old hypercolor t-shirts. (I realize this statement somehow manages to make me seem ancient and like a 10-year-old at the same time!) I was definitely getting them now! We bought the shoes, went outside, and I immediately put them on the dashboard, to observe their color-changing properties first-hand. And, let me tell you, they were worth every penny of the $10 I spent on them!

These shoes remind me of the verse listed above, and of Christ’s awesome power in our lives. Paul reminds us in Ephesians that God can do “infinitely more than all we ask or imagine.” What an exciting statement! Just like the shoes, God’s love and grace and mercy is plenty exciting. I think we all walk in the knowledge that He loves us more than we understand, that He has forgiven us for far more than we ever deserve. But then, on top of that, He continues to exhibit His overwhelming power and love in ways that we could never imagine. Maybe it’s the beauty of a sunset, or the laugh of our child, or the hug of an old friend where we feel Him at work. Or maybe He changes a situation that we NEVER saw a way out of on our own. When we feel helpless, and like we can’t take another step, He can turn the whole problem around, blowing our minds with His mercy and power. It’s such an encouragement that God chooses to lavish His love on us, and wants to give His children such amazing gifts.

And then, if we take that verse to its completion, Paul reminds us that this amazing, awesome, unfathomable power is at work in US. We have this mind-blowing power working in our hearts at all times. It is part of who we are as a child of God. God has chosen to give us access to Him, through a relationship with Jesus Christ, and we can live in the knowledge that He is working these miracles not only externally, in situations happening around us, but also within our own hearts. I don’t know about you, but there are definitely moments when I need for God’s power to change my heart. Maybe I need to forgive someone that I couldn’t on my own, maybe I need a little extra courage to face a difficult situation, or maybe I just need him to help extend my patience. We can have confidence that whatever we need to do, God doesn’t expect us to do it in our strength. We have his power, power that is more than we can imagine, at work within us, guiding us, strengthening us, and helping us to do hard things.

May you never forget that God wants to use you to do more than you could ever imagine!

Discussion Questions:

- Where do you see God's power at work around you? 

- Where do you see God's power at work within you?