“You were once an idea in the mind of almighty God. . . . You are the physical manifestation of God’s eternal plans and purposes. Simply put, you are God’s what if.”- Mark Batterson
Chapters 15-26 of If encompass The Third If– What If. In the brief introduction, Mark Batterson states that dreams always start with what if. Mark asks what you would do if you knew you couldn’t fail or if time/money were no object. Excuses are easy to find- if you’re looking for one. So are opportunities!
Pastor Batterson observes in Chapter 15 (“Who If?”) that every what if is created twice. First, a God-sized idea is conceived in the mind, heart, or spirit. The physical manifestation of that what if is the second creation. Mark describes the nature of God’s creative activity:
“From start to finish, God never stops creating. It’s who He is. It’s what He does. And we are most like Him when we exercise our creative capacity to serve His purposes on earth.”
While good ideas are good, Mark emphasizes, it is God ideas that change the course of history. Mark lists three facets of God-ideas. A God-idea is:
- an idea that doesn’t originate with you- it’s the divine what if
- often tough to discern from a bad idea- the only way to find out is to give it a go
- by definition, a God-ordained dream that is beyond your ability to pull it off
Pastor Batterson underscores the necessity of worship to this process:
“It’s not my job to tell God how to do His job. I simply need to get into God’s presence and see what God does. . . . worship creates the atmosphere where God’s glory can become tangible. . . . worship is what jump-starts our spiritual battery. Without it, the engine won’t start. With it, our fuel efficiency is out of this world.”
Today’s question: How does the realization that you are God’s what if enable you to create and manifest God-sized dreams? Please share.
Coming Monday: the new Short Meditation, “Fearlessness”
Tomorrow’s blog: “Firstfruits of the Spirit”