Don't Settle For Mediocracy In Your Faith Experience!

This morning, and it seems like most of last night, I was dreaming about a mansions that we lived in.  What was interesting about this dream is that we were using parts of it, or rediscovering parts of it that we haven't visited for years.  We had grown so accustomed to living in the few rooms that we visited that we had forgotten about all these fantastic rooms and equipment, and stuff that was ours.

We had a whole area set aside for hosting big family events, extra kitchens, large cooking equipment, etc., almost like a commercial kitchen, but just on a different level than where we usually live.  We had an area set up like a coffee shop, where we had a really cool coffee grinding mill that looked like an old water-powered grinding mill.  We had a whole area that was like a concessions area for a mall, several different types of treats and food, each announced with bold Neon signs.  When we opened the doors to these areas, I kept telling my children, these are here everyday, and always open for your use.

Amazingly it had been years since we had wandered through this part of the house.We had closets after closets of art work, most already framed, most done by my children, we seemed to have everything they had ever drawn or painted.  We turned the corner and opened the door and there were at least 8 art studios all in this next section, separated by large sliding panels with the canvasses ready to  be painted.  We had rooms where I had musical equipment (guitars, drums, keyboards) and sounds systems, all ready for use.  In other rooms we had all the supplies we needed, and or had bought at any time, it all looked fresh and ready to eat.  There was meat in the freezers we found, and even though we hadn't been there in years, the supplies were all fresh and ready to be consumed and used, and there was no dust or cobwebs at all.  It appears that someone was keeping it all in perfect readiness for the day we decided to walk back over to that part of our house.  I kept telling everyone, "remember this is yours to use, and it always has been, you just need to walk into this part of the house".

As I reflect back on the dream, I do believe that I have been in this house before in my dreams, because it all seemed very familiar.  What else was interesting was that my family was in town and that was why we were using the big family events section.  As we walked around there were things from all of our childhood's.  So this wasn't just my house, but it was the family estate!

When I woke up I felt the Lord whisper to me that this is exactly what is also available to us as His children in the spiritual realm.  Most of us settle for the little areas that we are comfortable in, and never venture past our comfort, into areas that are just around the corner, or behind the next door.  Each of the areas represented things that are in me, gifts and callings, and even things that I thought at one time that would be cool; it was all there in closets waiting for me to pull it out and use. I felt the strong encouragement of the Lord to revisit past words, dreams, visions, experiences and to open them back up and try them on, try them out, or enjoy them once again.  Better yet, I felt like the encouragement was to invite my family and friends to enjoy these things with me.  They are all just waiting and ready to be used!  I felt Him say, "Don't settle for the mediocrity of what you already know and am comfortable with, but open the door and walk around, test things out, find something that interests you and give it a whirl."  The best part is I don't need to ask permission, wait for clear direction, its already mine and I live right in the midst of it all, I just need to go there and open the doors.

I pray that you are encouraged to visit the mansions the Lord has prepared for you all (John 14:2 NKJV), and are a part of your inheritance as His co-heirs (Rom 8:17).  He has provided for us with all the fullness of Himself.  I am reminded of Paul's great prayer for the church in Ephesus, and believe this prayer is for us today.

Ephesians 3:14-19 NIV:

[14] "For this reason I kneel before the Father, [15] from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. [16] I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, [17] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, [18] may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, [19] and to know this love that surpasses knowledge---that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

Yes, let us be filled to to the measure of all the fullness of God, and experience His love in it's breadth, depth, width and height!