Think back with me for a moment to a few months ago, maybe even to January of this year. Could you have possibly imagined the days we are living in right now? A global pandemic, stay at home orders, many cancellations and changes, and now trying to figure out how to ease into possible reopenings and determining what the dreaded phrase of a “new normal” might look like–all of these are occupying a space in our minds that we wouldn’t have even dreamed before.
But one of the most encouraging things to me in this season has been watching the way people have been creatively reimagining what is possible when the way we’ve always done things is not available. I love how ministers and churches that have never had an online ministry before have found a way to connect with and encourage people, bringing more unique opportunities for worship and digging into God’s Word together even if physically distant. Education, jobs, entertainment, birthday parties, graduation ceremonies, and more have all looked different over the past few months than anytime previously, but people are finding ways to creatively maintain connections and take care of what’s important even in these challenging circumstances.
That word reimagine is one I’ve kept circling back to over the past couple of weeks, especially with a recent episode of Emily P. Freeman’s The Next Right Thing podcast. She talks a bit about the reimagining I’ve mentioned above with our current events, but then she goes deeper into the power of human imagination.
Emily mentions how her husband John responds to anyone who claims to not be imaginative by reminding us that worry is just a form of distorted imagination. When we worry, we are imagining a scenario in our minds that may not be true or even likely to happen.
But what if we used our imagination in a different way? What if we let our imagination be redeemed to build our faith? I love this quote Emily shares from John:
“We can use the imagination not for make-believe but for belief-making, to shape our faith in the same way we imagine worst-case scenarios and hard times to come.”
Then Emily goes on to add,
“We can also imagine good things and then live as if they’re true. We can imagine true things and then live like we believe them. We can imagine God with us and then live like He really is.”
This thought has completely captured my heart over the past week. How often do I read a Scripture, or even think of one I have memorized that is so meaningful to me, and still struggle to live in its truth? Here’s one of my favorites that has been on my mind recently:
“The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.”
~ Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV84)
What if I asked God to help me imagine these truths in a way that lets them sink more deeply into my heart? I can stop to envision His presence with me in the midst of every situation and circumstance, even right now as I am typing this. I can remember that He is mighty to save, more powerful than anything the enemy can throw at me to discourage me and try to get me to live in defeat.
Then sometimes the next line can be even harder for me to imagine. Can I picture the Lord taking great delight in me? Maybe even having a smile come to His face when He looks at me with His love? And can I let my heart come to rest and be quiet as He completely surrounds and envelops me in that great love?
Pause with me for a moment in the quiet. Take a deep breath and be still. Can you imagine the Lord rejoicing over you with singing? What kind of music do you hear playing? Does it seem too far-fetched or too good to be true? What if it’s more true than we can begin to grasp, but a little reimagination can draw us more deeply into reality?
My heart turns to these words from Jude as well:
“To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy–to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”
~ Jude 1:24-25 (NIV84)
Without fault and with great joy–can you picture it? I think it makes me want to sing, too…
I’d love to hear what these thoughts stir in you as well. What do you picture when you imagine God? Are you more likely to envision the worst-case scenario or the best? Is there something in your life where reimagining could be helpful to build your faith? Or is there an area where you could use extra prayer? Feel free to leave a comment or send me a message anytime.
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