The Power Of Imagination
“And the Lord said, behold, the people is one, and they have all one language, and this they begin to do: AND NOTHING WILL BE RESTRAINED FROM THEM, WHICH THEY IMAGINE TO DO” (Genesis 11:6).
The Merriam Webster dictionary meaning of the word imagination is to form a mental image of something not actually present to the senses. In the above scripture, a united humanity was making progress in the building of a tower they envisioned. God had to come down to disrupt the building project else they would have achieved their goal because of their unity and the imagination of their hearts. God Himself said nothing will be restrained from them which they imagine to do.
One of the Hebrew words for imagination is ‘yetser’ which means a form or conception. The human mind is basically divided into two: the memory and imagination compartments. With the memory, we replay events of the past; and with the imagination, we pre-play and visualize the outcomes we desire in the future. The imagination compartment is our spiritual womb. Below are three types of imagination, viz:
Vain imagination: The word vain means useless; something that produces no result. The Bible says because some people refuse to glorify God they became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts became darkened (Romans 1:21). An unregenerate person who refuses to give ample room to God in his or her mind falls into this category. An evil mind that is being controlled by evil forces also fall into this category. This kind of imagination produces evil outcomes that is dangerous and detrimental to humanity.
Fertile imagination: This is productive imagination. This is the mind which has been cultivated and is harnessing the power of imagination resident within. Napoleon Hill, the author of Think and Grow Rich said “whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” This maxim is in line with Ephesians 3, verse 20 which says God can grant to us whatever we ask or think according to the power resident within us. Many don’t receive from God because their words and the imagination of their hearts do not agree. You can’t be healed after praying for healing when at the same time you are thinking death. We produce good outcomes when there is alignment between the images we carry within and the words we speak.
Godly imagination: These are godly dreams and visions. They are images God Himself paints in the canvasses of the mind. He showed Abraham many stars in the night and told him his descendants will be as numerous as the stars of the firmament (Genesis 15:5-6). As a new believer, I was greatly engrossed in playing chess with my unbelieving friends to the expense of my time with God, and God in convicting me to change my company began to show me images of chess board every time I kneel to pray. He communicated with me that the company I was keeping and the amount of time spent playing chess were a hindrance to my walk with Him.
Conclusion: What images are you forming in your mind? Are they positive or negative images? How do you see yourself? Our imagination is our spiritual womb. Like the mother hen that sits on his chicks before they hatch, we also conceive and incubate things within us before they manifest. God gave us imagination to help in our walk with Him. As we daily imagine His greatness, His Holiness, His acts, He shall become magnified in our lives. Remember that whatever you focus on magnifies in your life. Have a blessed month!
Ade(Gboyega) ESAN