Even as I mature in my walk with God, especially as I’m writing a Christian living book about having heroic faith, I’ve discovered that imagination is the key. So, as a creative person, I still use my imagination to experience God’s comfort when I need Him the most. Two years ago, I imagined God by my side walking with me down the hospital halls to visit my father in his ICU room and then God holding my hand during my dad’s celebration of life service just weeks later. Visualizing God holding me together helped me when I didn’t know what to say or do. And imagining the truth of God’s Word happening in my life has helped me rebuild my faith from the ground of my grief up to a stronger and surer faith today.
We have songs to thank like MercyMe’s iconic “I Can Only Imagine” for exploring this idea. Scripture itself also supports this intersection of faith and imagination in Ephesians 3:20, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us (NIV).
Such imagination is very much a spiritual sight vs physical, for we know faith comes by the truth of God’s Word and not by our eyes or earthly experiences. Scripture also gives the balance of belief that our faith is not blind, stating we both walk by faith and not sight (2 Cor. 5:7) and hold the truth that faith is our assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen (Heb. 11:1). However, like the Israelites of old, we tend to focus too much on the giants in front of us rather than believe the invisible promises God has for us on the other side of struggles and suffering. Some people say they just can’t imagine a God could create the universe. Or that Jesus Christ could rise from the dead. Or that an all-powerful God could be interested in them, let alone love them. To reach the reality of faith is truly humbling for it offends our reasons.
For me, I’d like to think I have a great imagination. However, God often surprises me. But thank God He is not limited by our mortal minds. He does things beyond our understanding and capabilities, for He is spirit, and nothing is impossible for Him (Luke 1:37). Surely then to not only experience God but to prevail through this life we must pray as Elisha did in 2 King 6:17 for God to open our eyes toward the spiritual reality around us. Even if, like the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11, we do not fully receive God’s promises in this life but get to see them from afar in the fulfillment of Christ and can still be glad. We can still have faith and pray bold prayers such as even if God doesn’t rescue us and we instead receive the sufferings we begged not to, we can still stand firm and say He is still good.
For witnessing such sorrows will try to blind our spiritual sight. But we must then fix our spiritually opened eyes on Jesus. Just as Jesus saw the joy beyond the cross of a life reunited with us, we too can choose to see the joy of Heaven beyond the cross we must bear on this earth (Heb. 12:2). Perhaps like me, you are far from the dream life you imagined for yourself, and you’re worried for the possible burdens to bear and of the blessings that might never be. For me, I choose every day to believe in the hope of being reunited with my father in Heaven. To imagine embracing him once more and sharing all God did in my life. I choose to believe life eternal with God will be everything Scripture says where He will give sight to all the secret things and we will receive that which was promised and be all the more glad.
So, dear reader, how can imagination give spiritual sight to your faith? Can we let God reignite the fire of our imaginations? Can we imagine the God of Heaven at our side? Can we imagine what was meant for evil turning into good? Can we lean into worshipping while we await our breakthroughs, imagining God hears our cries, can carry our burdens, and will bring justice? Can we imagine God loves us more than we could ever imagine? Let’s remind our hearts of the reality of Jesus as the resurrection and the life here and now. The choice is indeed ours to believe.
Let’s pray: God, I thank You that neither darkness, nor depression, nor death itself will never snuff out the light of Christ in this world or in our faith. May we see You present and powerfully active in our midst. I praise You, and the blessings You have for us, for being immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine. Amen.