imagine if...

"To comprehend Jesus' vision of the kingdom of God and to live that kingdom life means we have to have a good imagination."    -Scot McKnight, One.Life

Jesus was an image driven leader.  He told parables that required our imagination.  Jesus' stories were telling us readers to imagine if...  And oh how I wish I had an imagination like Jesus!  Because some days I don't feel like I have an imagination at all.  It's black or white, yes or no.  I leave no room for imagination, no room for what if...?, no room for possibility.  My YL leader Linda told me this once:  Don't limit Christ's imagination for you, a phrase that has stuck to me like superglue.  I find myself constantly having to remind myself that God is so much bigger than this world.  He can dream up anything and do everything--so much more than I can imagine.  I tend to box God into a corner.  The square peg in the round hole idea.  I'm so quick to say things can't or won't happen, yes or no, do it or don't.  But that mentality has sucked all of the imagination out of my day-to-day life.  Scot McKnight writes, "The parables (imagination) of Jesus are opportunities for God's grace to enter into our lives to transform us...You begin thinking about very ordinary things, like fields and farmers and workers and women baking and men picking wheat and wounded people, and suddenly you find yourself transported into a brand new world and a brand new way of thinking." (One.Life).  I want to be someone who imagines.  I desire to have the imagination of Christ.  

Other imagine if... thoughts:
- What does it look like for me to be an image driven leader?  How can/do I inspire those around me to be imaginative?
- N.T. Wright says that justice, beauty and evangelism are related.  Imagine how the Gospel can be advanced through acts of justice and celebrating beauty.  What does that look like (for me, the church, society)?
- Imagine if God's imagination for my life came true.  What's holding me back?

And a plug for Scot's book...I'm really enjoying it.  Thought provoking.  And I'm not a reader, so this is a big deal.  Check it out, I think you'll like it.