Limits

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. - Ephesians 3:20-21

I think, as a people, as Christians, we’ve gotten stuck.  I know I have. We hear the scientists; we hear the psychologists; we hear the anthropologists, we hear all the pundits and experts, and we assume everything is and has to be as they say. 

And you know, it’s not that they are wrong, for empirically they are correct far more often than not; and I thank God for the ability of so many people to figure things out, explain and teach.  I do.

But here’s the thing. We can get stuck on such particulars.  We can set limits on ourselves if we are not careful. I don’t know a truster and believer in Christ that has not seen or experienced things in their lives that defy the empirical, that stretch the limits. That is why the apostle Paul could so boldly thank “him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.”  Paul was not content to limit this praying/thinking/searching to the limits of what he saw and heard in this world. 

Neither should we.

So I invite you this morning.  What is a need in your life that seems so out of reach that you don’t “ask or think” about it?  If we truly believe that God can “do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,” then let us act on it.

As you know, I have been praying (as have many of you) for my sister Penny as she faced what seemed like an insurmountable illness.  And at first, kind of to my chagrin, I gave in to the empirical evidence that she was likely not to survive.  The evidence was not wrong; the doctors, God bless them, know what they see and what they are doing. 

But some of you prayer warriors have privately encouraged me to pray for her recovery and believe that God will heal her.  I thank you for that.  Penny is not out of the woods, but there at least appears to be a clearing in the forest for her to see.  She is better; but we can’t yet guess what the long term looks like.  But I will trust in what God is doing.

So again, I invite you this morning.  What is a need in your life that seems so out of reach that you don’t “ask or think” about it?  If we truly believe that God can “do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,” then…its time.  For me.  And for you.  Let’s shrug off the limits.