Ephesians 3:20 (NRSV):
“Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine…”
Reflection:
Paul’s doxology is expansive, but it is not abstract. God can do far more than we ask or imagine — yet the power is “at work within us.” That detail keeps this from being spiritual exaggeration. Divine abundance is not separate from human participation. It moves through us, within us, and among us. God’s imagination is not meant to stay in heaven; it extends into ordinary relationships, conflicts, and systems.
The issue isn’t that we stop believing in God’s power. The issue is that we stop applying it to specific people and situations. We affirm divine abundance in general while secretly assuming that certain relationships, divides, or wounds are the exception. We tell ourselves we’re being realistic. But there’s a difference between wisdom and a limited imagination. A limited imagination is often just disappointment that has stopped hoping for something different.
If God’s love surpasses what we can imagine, then we need to examine our limits. Where have we quietly decided that love is unrealistic? Maybe in a strained relationship. Maybe in a community divided by politics. Maybe in our own ability to forgive. It’s easier to keep distance than to risk vulnerability. It’s simpler to categorize than to stay present. But the power Paul describes is not just theoretical. It is working within us—growing, unsettling, and pushing against the borders we’ve drawn around who deserves patience, understanding, or effort.
This week has moved intentionally: abundance disrupted scarcity; mercy dismantled superiority; joy stabilized belonging; shared life redistributed power; hope rejected neutrality. Now love confronts our limits. Not sentimental affection, but lasting commitment to the good of the other. Lent does not ask whether love feels possible. It asks whether we are willing to let God expand our imagination beyond what feels manageable. The question is not whether God is able. The question is whether we are willing.
Application:
Name a relationship or situation where you’ve quietly lowered your expectations for love. Then do one small thing this week that defies that lowering — a message, a presence, or a gesture that refuses to let diminished expectation have the last word.
Writing Prompt:
What might it look like to engage in God’s larger imagination in that situation — even in a small way?
Prayer:
God whose love exceeds our limits,
stretch our imagination.
Work within us until grace becomes visible
in how we treat one another.
Amen.