In Your Wildest Dreams...

The past couple of days I've been thinking on Ephesians 3:20.

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us." (NASB)

In your wildest dreams, if money were not an issue, what would you do to help spread the Kingdom? What would you do to help people see the love of Jesus? Think about it. What is it?

For me I have several, but the 3 things I would love to do is to:
1- lead a powerful movement (church) that equips people to be what God created them to be.
2- Build a ministry that helps orphans.
3- Help single parents.

But how can I do that? How can we make the dreams a reality in life? What can we do? The answer is this: NOTHING! Let me explain...

We can do nothing within our own power. All we can do is work like it depends on us and pray like it depends on Him...because it does! The key to this verse that is often overlooked and underappreciated is the end... "according to the power that works within us."

The power that works within us is the the power of the Holy Spirit. Upon repentance the Holy Spirit became available to us, the filling of the Holy Spirit takes place as we lay ourselves down and allow Him to take over. It's a matter of surrender of ourselves, and acceptance of the Spirit. The power that the Spirit works within you and I depends on the amount of surrender we've given.

The beautiful thing is this: What we desperately dream and want to accomplish, God wants to accomplish more, with more power, with more authority, with more results that we can think of. And He has given us the power (the Holy Spirit) to help us accomplish our dream, plus some.

So, what now? Surrender. Surrender your dreams, your plans, your ideas, your model of getting things done to the Spirit. Let the Spirit move you into a place of success and submission. Pastors, we need to surrender our models for leadership and church growth to the Spirit and get His approval. Leaders, it's up to the Spirit to lead us in our next step.

Remember: after all, it is the power that works within us that accomplishes the great things! Walk in His fresh steps, because making your own doesn't work so well.