What has God prepared for you?

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. (I Corinthians 2:9-12)

What can you imagine with your mind's eye? Is it something grand and glorious, or are those imaginations limited by what you perceive to be your 'talents', 'abilities', or 'treasures'? We sometimes 'dream big', but when it comes to actually believing in what we see with our mind's eye, we discount the possibility of it ever coming to pass. It isn't that we are to 'dream' things into existence, but when God plants a vision within our heart, we are to do all we can to see his purposes come to pass. That could mean our faith is challenged a bit, because we don't know fully what he will be doing in and through us, but it doesn't mean we just sit there and let the dream pass us by. We give ourselves fully to the vision and then see what God will work out in the areas where we lack talent, ability, or treasure!

God's deepest secrets for each of us are realized when we say "YES" to Jesus. His Spirit's presence within us isn't there to give us 'visions' and then to allow us to falter as we step out in faith. If we think too long on what God asks us to do, we will begin to 'falter' in our steps, though. We will lose the momentum created by the vision or dream. If you want to see God's best in your life, you act upon what he places in your heart to the best of your ability and then allow him to work out the rest. Does that mean we will see instantly what he has purposed or planned for us? Not always, because there are times when the vision needs a bit of time to develop within us. We aren't fully at the point where he can bring everything to pass right at that moment - we need to allow him to develop our character so we can really engage with his purposes fully.

We see in part, while he sees the bigger picture. We possess some of the talent, while he will need to infuse that talent with his supernatural ability. We aren't 'fulfilling the dream' - we are just participating as active partakers in the vision in whatever way he asks of each of us. Does that make us a little uneasy at times? Yes, simply because we don't always feel like we are 'in step' with him, especially when we don't feel we possess the talent, ability, or treasure required. I have learned that the vision or dream gives isn't always going to match my feelings, though. Sometimes it is much bigger than I 'feel', while at others, it is much smaller. When it is much smaller than I might 'feel' like it should be, I have never been disappointed, though. Why? The smaller dreams seem to set us up for some other dream down the road.

We might not fully understand God's heart at the moment, but when we take the big or small vision he gives and place it in his capable hands, we begin to see God's expansive goodness and grace at work in and through us. As God tells us, "People without a vision perish". The dream is important - don't discount it - embrace it! It might be a tiny step that leads to the biggest 'achievement' we could ever imagine! Just sayin!