The Christian Nutritionist

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43: The Best That Can Happen

The imagination is a powerful tool. God has given us the opportunity, ability and free will to use our minds in the most extraordinary way. Humans are the only creatures with the capacity to think beyond what is right in front of them.

Imagination is what we use to envision the future. We can rehearse any possible scenario in our head using our imagination. You can imagine something amazing or imagine something horrible. You can imagine success or failure. Neither has happened yet. You get to decide what you rehearse in your brain.

The enemy thrives on keeping you focused on the worst that can happen.  Examine your imagination and bring into captivity the thoughts that don’t align with who you are in Christ. 

Are you envisioning the worst or the best for yourself? Are you full of fear and worry or hope and belief?  Choose to imagine the future you want, not the future you don’t because here’s the thing - it tends to go the way you imagine it.

EPISODE 43: The Best That Can Happen

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SHOW NOTES

(0:00) Intro

(0:44) Attention all self-improvement junkies! 🙌

  • Going into the new year is a time that we’re all really focused on self-improvement, especially our health, getting our bodies into shape.

(1:36) Introducing today’s topic: Using your God-given imagination to dream about The Best That Can Happen This Year.

  • This is different than goal setting because how can you even set goals if you haven’t taken the time to dream about your best life?

  • So many of us are constantly thinking about the worst that can happen, and that’s just sad, and not befitting of who we are as Christians.

  • We have been given the capacity and the encouragement to dream big, to have hope for the best future, to believe that God is for us and with Him in our plans all things are possible.

  • Are you stretching your brain to imagine the best things for yourself? 

(3:01) Draws of self-improvement:

  • Pushing past the boundaries of what I think is possible.

  • Gravitating toward teachers that inspire me to think bigger, to challenge me about whether or not I even like the life I’m living and if not, then what is it that I do want?

  • I would ask you the same.

    • Do you even like the life that you are living?

  • The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss

  • Many of us haven’t used our imaginations in a positive way since we were kids.

    • Kids are amazing in their imaginations. 

    • As kids we dream of the job we’ll have and the person we’ll marry and having kids and owning a house. But then we get those things and stop dreaming what we’d like life to look life.

  • The perfect life will be in heaven but God doesn’t mean for us to wait around in misery until then.

  • Our life is a gift, Jesus came that we have abundant life on earth AND in heaven.

(7:51) Don’t die with your music still inside of you.

  • Your music is your special gifts from God, the love he’s put inside of you to share with the world.

  • You are a child of the Almighty - meant to shine and live your best life in this world. 

(8:47) The Best That Can Happen:

(11:25) Looking deeper into the world of imagination:

  • What I’ve loved over the years is that this self improvement journey is what has driven me deeper into God’s Word.

  • Cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

    • The imagination is a powerful tool.

    • God has given us the opportunity, ability and free will to use our minds in the most extraordinary way.

    • Humans are the only creatures with the capacity to think beyond what is right in front of them.

    • You get to decide what you rehearse in your brain.

(15:11) The enemy thrives on keeping you focused on the worst possible scenario:

  • Examine your imagination and bring into captivity the thoughts that don’t align with who you are in Christ. 

  • Are you envisioning the worst or the best for yourself or your children?

  • Are you full of fear and worry or hope and belief?

  • Do you imagine the absolute best things happening in your life? 

  • Choose to imagine the future you want, not the future you don’t because here’s the thing - it tends to go the way you imagine it. 

(17:38) The bible tells us to focus on thoughts that are good:

  • …Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8

  • I love that. Thinking on a higher plane helps us live on a higher plane. As Christians we have the opportunity to operate at a level beyond what the world recognizes as normal or even possible.

  • Don’t you want a life that is lovely and excellent?

    • Well what does that mean to you?

    • Something that feels so lovely and I want to live in a lovely and excellent way.

(19:05) Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us… Ephesians 3:20

  • As Christians we have the ability to do more than we will ever realize. 

  • So many of us want to use a cup to try and catch the Niagra Falls of blessings God wants to gush into our lives. 

  • Our container - which is our imagination -  is often not big enough to hold the bounty. 

(21:50) Don’t fail ahead of time:

  • If you have big goals for the New Year that seem impossible, it may be God trying to increase the size of your container. He may be trying to work through you as an instrument of His glory.

  • What we can’t do in our own strength, we can do in His.

  • You are His beloved child and He wants great things for you, more than you can imagine.

  • Lean in and allow Him to supernaturally fill the gap between what you think is possible and what IS possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

(23:55) Questions to jog your brain:

  • Click here to gain access to the list of questions!

(33:50) What’s the best that could happen this year?

  • Why not dream big in this short earthly life?

  • We live in a cup-size mentality, when God is looking to fill an ocean. 

(35:00) Bible verses— Gems to uncover 💎

(37:51) Outro & Disclaimer

Thanks for listening! Have a healthy and blessed week!

XOXO,

Chelsea