Have you ever been around people who love to quote the company line? I had this very thought the other day and when I have such thoughts, generally the first question that I ask myself is “Do I do that?” Sad to say, I am guilty. The other day whilst drinking my Nespresso coffee I found myself replying to someone’s question with “Nespresso; What else?” I find that company lines pop out of my mouth daily and some of them go back a few decades. Remember the Nike slogan “Just Do it”. How often is that quoted?
Anyways, I don’t see the harm in quoting the company lines when it comes to things like coffee and running shoes but on the other hand, I do have a concern when it comes to our spiritual journey. You see the issue I have with these phrases is that we quote them but often there is no substance or reality to what is spoken. Case in point; Mark 9:23 And Jesus said to him, ” ‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” What I often hear quoted is “All things are possible to him who believes”. My question is “Believes what?” What does that statement mean to you? Some would say that God can do it if it is in His will to do so. Others would say that you need to really believe or perhaps need to just believe that God will do it.
First of all, let me quote that scripture again from a different perspective. “All things are possible to those who are open to the possibilities”. I know that may sound rather simple but go with me on this. I have often said this over the years; You cannot see beyond what you are willing to see!
In other words, we create the parameters of our belief system, and the possibilities are often limited to the parameters that we set. When we create the forbidden zones in our thinking, we create areas that we and God are not permitted to enter. When Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God can do beyond what we dare to dream or even imagine, yes God can but our experience of that is limited to our parameters.
When I have shared some of my experiences with God over the years, some people have the tendency to think that I must be someone special. This is truly not the case, the reason I have these experiences is because I am open to things that I do not understand. Here is an example; back in 2009 as I was going to bed one night, I found the heavenly realm open above me. There were many things that I saw that I could not explain, and I found myself feeling quite insecure. Then I heard the Lord whisper to me and tell me that He did not ask me to understand what was happening but to be open to the experience. In other words, to be comfortable in things that I cannot understand or control.
You see, we often talk about trusting God, but trust begins where we end. In other words, if I cannot go beyond my perceived parameters, then my trust in God is limited to what I can understand or control (remember that the need to understand is often the need to control). So, I guess the question really is “Do I want to experience the possibility of all things, or do I want to stay in the comfort of my religious parameters?” That is not an easy question to answer and perhaps that answer is a continual unfolding reality that is experienced progressively through the journey.
Remember that this journey with Christ is far more than a do what you are told experience. This relationship is a continual unfolding of oneness in the divine. I in You, You in Me, and Us in them! It is in this unfolding of relationship that possibilities appear and as the journey continues then the possibilities only strengthen, and we begin to discover that we truly can fly.
Here is where I find myself in this journey of possibilities. I must move forward beyond what is known into that which is unknown; I must move forward beyond what is seen into that which is not seen. How far I go is not up to God, but is up to me and I must measure the pressure that I am capable to handle, the rejection that I am able to face and the level of maturity I walk or do not walk in. Perhaps what I am saying is to be honest with oneself in regard to where we are and where we are not. This honesty opens the possibilities and let’s us know whether or not the timing for us is correct. Remember that when the student is ready the teacher will appear! That teacher is the Holy Spirit within.
So, are all things possible? Of course, but that is really not the question. The question then would ask if you are ready to move forward into all possibilities? Well, are you ready to go beyond just quoting the company line and begin the journey of entering into a living reality? If so, then I would suggest that one would practice being open beyond our present understanding. I did not say you have to agree with these things, just be open to the possibility and you may be surprised as to what opens up before you!
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