DREAMPOWER
Read the Text: Ephesians 3
Memorize the Text:
Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us – to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
(Ephesians 3:20-21, CSB)
Consider the Text: Ephesians 3:14-21
What do you want to be when you grow up? This question has been asked of kids from kindergarten to graduation. The question does not focus on one’s occupational goals, but this inquiry reveals the dreams one has for life. As a believer, one needs to remember that our plans remain small in the reality of who God is and what God desires to do in his child’s life. As followers of Christ, we need to seek to develop the dreampower to dream the dreams of God and not humanity. The apostle Paul challenged the church in Ephesus to achieve this by giving them five critical truths to obtain genuine dreampower.
DEVELOP A STRONG INNER SELF
The apostle Paul knew the reality of spiritual warfare. He knew that the world, the evil one, and sin would attempt to derail the believer from following the leading of the Lord. The ability to battle this struggle well came with developing a strong inner self that relied upon the Lord entirely. Thus, the apostle pointed to the reality that the battle occurred daily (Romans 7:21) and that the response occurred through daily renewal (2 Corinthians 4:16).
Without the Lord, you and I cannot develop a strong inner self to combat the daily battle. In Colossians 1:11, the apostle declared that Lord is the one who strengthens. Thus, we do not develop our strength but are made strong by the Lord. God is the strength and the agent that makes us strong. As a follower of Christ, we receive the needed strength through the presence of the Holy Spirit. The indwelling Spirit provides us with the required strength to overcome the battle. Thus, we develop a strong inner self through complete reliance and surrender to the Lord.
ALLOW CHRIST TO DWELL IN YOUR HEART
When we desire to live in God's plans, we need to allow Christ to take up residence in our life. This means that we give Christ the keys to our heart and our heart becomes his home. As Jesus enters one’s heart, he takes on the work of spiritual redecorating. He adjusts the heart to be his and redecorates us to become known as his and not as the world. This redecoration occurs when Jesus enters the heart through the key of faith.
Faith unlocks the heart for Christ to enter. We cannot achieve the residence of Christ or purchase it through personal efforts; instead, faith alone opens the door of the heart for Christ to enter. Faith comes as we believe in the person and work of Christ. Paul spoke of this in 1 Corinthians 15 as he summarized the gospel's message as the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. At the same time, faith means that the allegiance of our life changes. We move from attempting to trust the world and ourselves and place complete reliance upon the Lord. Total reliance upon the Lord means that we trust him wholeheartedly. This trust occurs when we allow Christ to dwell in the heart.
DEDICATE YOUR LIFE TO LIVING A LIFE OF LOVE
The life of a believer needs grounding in love. This means that you and I must seek to live a life established on the love of Christ. Such love extends to God and others. The ability to love the Lord comes from the allowance of Christ to take up residence in our hearts. So likewise, the ability to love others occurs because we extend the love to others that Christ shows us and because we seek to obey the commands and ways of the Lord. Genuine love does not come through the expressions of the flesh but occurs when we are grounded in true love that comes from Christ alone.
DEPEND ON THE LORD TO PROVIDE THE FULLNESS YOU NEED
The believer needs to be filled by the Lord. The process of being filled begins when the believer empties the self before the Lord through the act of sacrifice and surrender. Without the act of surrender and sacrifice, the self cannot be emptied for the filling from the Lord to occur. Thus, giving Christ residence means we must empty the self and provide a clean slate for him to form his home. Therefore, he becomes the dominant aspect of life and fills us. We must remember that we are like a container in the ocean. Though the ocean fills the container, the ocean remains much greater. So likewise, through Christ fills us, he remains far greater.
DEDICATE YOUR LIFE TO THE LORD
When believers seek to live out these four truths, they will experience the unimaginable. We often attempt to understand the ways and works of the Lord and minimize his work by holding that something is improbable. God likes to work in the impossible and unlikely because it reveals his greatness and goodness. When we develop proper dreampower, we come to the place of awe and wonder as we experience the working of the Lord. We experience how the Lord uses a readied vessel to carry out his plans. This moment leads to bringing God glory. When we live in a proper dreampower, we can do nothing but reflect the Lord and make his glory known.
Are you living in the proper dreampower today? Are you experiencing the life Christ desires for you? Take a moment and check the décor of your heart. Is Jesus in the process of redecorating? What have you left behind and not surrendered or sacrificed? Jesus wants to take residence in your heart and redecorate your life. So strive to live with the proper dreampower today and let the Lord work and lead your life.
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
