I Want More ... Immeasurably More

I grew up believing that God would take care of all of our needs out of the abundance of his glorious riches. So like most parents I tried my best to teach my children the difference between needs and wants. One got the lesson the other one, not so much. Isn't that the way it always is. One child gets it the other doesn't. If they all got it we would be perfect parents and teachers, but I haven't met one of them.


Back to my original thought ... I believed for a time that ALL God would take care of was my "needs" and that all the "wants" were all on me. If I worked extra hard, saved and pinched pennies that I might be able to have some of my "wants".

Then I began to realize that God was much bigger than I had been giving Him credit for and that when I learned that I must admit I became even more confused. Why some "wants" and not others? How does He decide which? I know I am supposed to constantly be thinking on heavenly things and not earthly things, but sometimes I want, "not need", some earthly things that I really believe might then be able to help someone. So does that make it a "need"? Like Vinnie Barbarino on Welcome Back Kotter, "I am so confused". Can you relate to that?

Then I was reminded that God has great plans for me (Jer. 29:11) and that He wants big things "for me" as well as "from me". So I started digging through scripture reading about the "mores" that God offers. There was a time when I had some really BIG dreams I thought. In fact I wasn't sure that maybe my dreams might not be too BIG for God. Were my dreams solely based on "wants" and therefore out of the realm of what God might bless. It wasn't long before I began to settle for smaller dreams, they were still dreams but not what I once considered dreams. Not the crazy stuff that guys right out of seminary dream about changed lives and building churches that would bring thousands to Him.

Then I found it. The passage that I needed to see and understand about God!

Ephesians 3 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,

God is not just "OK" with me wanting more, He wants to give me "immeasurably more". He is the one than can "do immeasurably more" than I could ever ask or imagine. God can dream BIGGER than I can ever possibly dream!

Then Eugene Peterson explained it to me even more when he translated those verses this way in the Message.

Ephesians 3 20-21God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (The Message)

God can do ANYTHING but He is not going to force it on me, but "gently" nudge me to dream those dreams! God I don't want a nudge, barrel through me with the bulldozer of your love and dreams! OK not my will but yours ... but now know you want "more", "immeasurably more"!

Why do I forget that so easily? How does Satan get me off track with the daily battles? God help me from this day forward to never again lose sight of this truth. It's OK to want "more" ... even "immeasurably more" ... a long as it is in YOU!