Linda Buishas
When I was a child, my sweet mother would tell me of the dreams she had as a young girl and of the dreams she had for her own children’s lives. She imagined things that would bring joy to her, my dad, and our family, things she hoped would become reality. I wonder if she realized that her dreams, when mixed with faith in God, could come true. I am so happy for her that many did. When our thoughts align with God’s Holy Word, anything is possible.
When you wish for something good, do you envision it in your mind’s eye? Do you use your imagination to dream of only good things to come? Or do you allow your imagination to take you to places you don’t really wish to be? Many of us worry about the future, but Isaiah 26:3 assures us if we keep our minds focused on God, peace will follow. “Mind” in Isaiah 26:3 is a Hebrew word, “yetser”, which is also translated “imagination” five separate times in Scripture.
If we value the things of God—praising and thanking Him—our imaginations will focus on positive things happening in our lives. The importance of using our imagination in ways that reveal our faith in God is something I believe most of us miss.
“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7) and “To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6) are scriptures which highlight how deeply important our inner thoughts are in shaping our lives. Furthermore, when Paul instructs us to think on what is “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy” (Philippians 4:8), he teaches us that keeping our minds set on only good thoughts are tools against the attacks of the enemy.
Jesus said, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). If we pray for healing; but never imagine ourselves well, or pray for problems to be solved, without imagining ourselves victorious, we block God’s provision. Our imagination, when mixed with faith, allows us to access what God has already provided. (Romans 5:2) Our imaginations will reveal whether we’re trusting God or whether we’re blocking our blessings because of our unbelief.
When we magnify negative thoughts, we set ourselves up for failure. But when we “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5), we take control over our imaginations, our minds become a place where only good thoughts are conceived, God’s truth is nourished and His Grace becomes more evident in our lives.
Let’s take the limits off our imagination and let’s take the limits off God, placing all our trust and faith in Him. Let’s imagine His best for us and see what He will do. We’ll grow closer to Him and experience His blessings in even greater ways than even we could ever imagine!