"abundantly far more"

"Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. AMEN."

(Ephesians 3:20-21)

Plan ahead. Set goals. Make a bucket list. Or... you could just "go with the flow." These are all strategies that we use with our careers, hobbies, and overall lives. Some of us are more driven than others. Some of us are better at "follow-through." And some of us are more flexible & open, able to adapt to new experiences and unplanned opportunities.

And then there's God.

Sure, creating the world in 7 days might seem a little like "overachieving" (especially when you realize it took just 6 days and God napped on day #7!)... But God has big plans for each of us. Seriously! God created us with a purpose. WE all have certain gifts and talents that he's blessed us with precisely so we can be a blessing to others.

And yet... we often don't dream big enough. We often settle for less than what we could be. And Paul, in his letter to the church in Ephesus, lets us in on the secret: LET GOD WORK IN US! It's that simple. We're able to accomplish "abundantly far more" when God is at work in us, than "we can ask or imagine." Which is kind of inspiring because some oft s can dream big! But not as big as God can!

One of my worries is that whenever I come to stand before the throne of God, God will look at me and sigh... then say, "If you only know what you were capable of with my power." This is not self-condemning at all. I just imagine that there's so much more that I could do with the gifts God has given me... if only I fully trusted God's grace. (Can anyone else relate?)

So, God... let's do this!