“Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think…” – Ephesians 3:20
THE MAN WHO COULD NOT SEE BEYOND HIS CHALLENGE
There was a man who worked faithfully in a small institution.
Every morning, he arrived early. He worked hard, solved problems, attended meetings and went home tired. Yet, deep inside him was a growing frustration.
One day, his supervisor asked him:
“Where do you see yourself in the next five years?”
He paused.
After a long silence, he replied:
“Honestly, Sir, I just want to survive.”
That answer revealed something deeper than financial difficulty.
His circumstances had become the boundary of his vision.
He could see his salary, but he could not see his potential.
He could see today’s workload, but he could not see tomorrow’s impact.
He could see the problems around him, but he could not see the possibilities ahead.
He had unknowingly placed a ceiling over his own growth.
And this is where many of us are today.
We are not necessarily lacking ability.
We are lacking vision.
YOU CANNOT GROW BEYOND WHAT YOU ARE WILLING TO SEE
People rarely rise above the limits they place on themselves.
If you constantly tell yourself:
“I can’t.”
Eventually, you stop trying.
If you say:
“This is all I can achieve.”
You may never discover what else God has placed inside you.
If you say:
“People like me don’t get opportunities like that.”
You may walk past the very opportunity God prepared for you.
Sometimes the greatest limitation in your life is not your environment.
It is the picture you have created in your mind about what is possible.
God, however, sees beyond your present reality.
Where you see a seed, God sees a forest.
Where you see a small beginning, God sees a great future.
Where you see a struggling institution, God can see a centre of excellence.
Where you see an ordinary worker, God can see a leader, mentor and destiny-shaper.
Where you see weakness, God sees potential.
“I JUST WANT TO TRY IT” – BUT GOD WANTS YOU TO EXCEL
There is a difference between trying and growing.
Sometimes we approach life with a defeated mentality:
«“Let me just try it.”»
«“Let me just manage.”»
«“Let me see how far I can go.”»
«“Anything is better than nothing.”»
But God does not merely call us to exist.
He calls us to grow, develop, become fruitful and make an impact.
The Bible says in Ephesians 3:20:
«“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”»
Think about that for a moment.
Above all that we ask.
Above all that we think.
God’s capacity is greater than your imagination.
Your vision may be small, but God is not small.
Your resources may be limited, but God is not limited.
Your beginning may be humble, but God can produce an extraordinary ending.
STAFF: DO NOT JUST SEE THE WORKLOAD
Some staff members wake up every morning thinking only about:
“How much work do I have today?”
But God may be asking:
“Whose life will you influence today?”
The student you teach may become a professor.
The young person you encourage may become a great leader.
The patient you care for may never forget your kindness.
The colleague you mentor may eventually become someone who transforms an entire organization.
The assignment you consider ordinary may be part of someone’s extraordinary future.
You are not merely doing a job.
You may be shaping lives.
Do not measure the significance of your work only by your salary.
Do not measure your impact only by your job title.
Do not measure your value only by what appears on your payslip.
Sometimes, the greatest evidence of your impact is not what you receive.
It is what becomes better because you were there.
Work with vision.
Serve with excellence.
Teach with purpose.
Lead with integrity.
Because what looks like ordinary work in your hands may be extraordinary work in God’s plan.
LEADERS: DO NOT LET TODAY’S CHALLENGES DEFINE TOMORROW
Some leaders look at financial difficulties and conclude:
“We cannot go any further.”
They see rising costs.
They see inadequate facilities.
They see limited resources.
They see declining income.
They see operational challenges.
And gradually, the institution’s vision becomes smaller.
But God is saying:
“Do not reduce My possibilities to your present circumstances.”
What if today’s struggling institution becomes tomorrow’s great institution?
What if today’s small classroom becomes tomorrow’s centre of excellence?
What if today’s few students become tomorrow’s army of professionals serving society?
What if today’s modest facility becomes tomorrow’s landmark institution?
What if the organization you are struggling to build today becomes a blessing to generations yet unborn?
You cannot afford to see only today’s bills when God is showing you tomorrow’s legacy.
THE DANGER OF A SMALL VISION:
A small vision can produce a small life.
A small vision makes you stop too early.
A small vision makes you celebrate survival when God is calling you to significance.
A small vision makes you afraid of taking necessary steps.
A small vision makes you mistake where you are for where you are going.
Never confuse your current condition with your final destination.
The fact that you are struggling today does not mean you will struggle forever.
The fact that your institution is small today does not mean it will remain small.
The fact that your business is starting slowly does not mean it cannot become great.
The fact that you have failed before does not mean you cannot succeed.
The fact that someone underestimated you does not mean God has underestimated you.
Your present is a chapter, not the whole book.
WHAT DO YOU SEE?
Imagine two people standing in the same place.
One sees an empty piece of land.
The other sees a university, a hospital, a business complex, a manufacturing plant and thousands of people whose lives will be transformed.
They are standing in the same place.
But they are not seeing the same future.
That is the power of vision.
What you see determines what you pursue.
What you pursue determines what you develop.
What you develop determines how far you grow.
Therefore:
Guard your vision.
Do not allow negative voices to become louder than God’s promises.
Do not allow temporary difficulties to cancel permanent possibilities.
Do not allow past failures to dictate future expectations.
Do not allow people’s opinions to become the boundaries of your destiny.
GOD CAN DO MORE THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE:
Ephesians 3:20 does not say God can do according to what you have.
It says He can do “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.”
That means God’s possibilities are not restricted to your present resources.
You may see ₦1 million.
God may see ₦100 million.
You may see ten students.
God may see thousands of graduates.
You may see one small office.
God may see an organization serving nations.
You may see a struggling family.
God may see a family whose testimony will inspire generations.
You may see yourself as insignificant.
God may see someone whose life will change many lives.
So enlarge your vision.
Not with arrogance.
Not with pride.
Not with unrealistic fantasy.
But with faith, prayer, preparation, excellence and obedience to God.
YOUR GROWTH STARTS IN YOUR MIND
Before your circumstances change, sometimes your thinking must change.
Before the building becomes bigger, the vision must become bigger.
Before the organization expands, the leadership must begin to think beyond survival.
Before the business grows, the entrepreneur must begin to see beyond today’s sales.
Before the individual rises, he or she must first believe that rising is possible.
Growth begins with what you can see.
Then vision must become action.
Pray.
Plan.
Learn.
Improve.
Invest.
Build.
Persevere.
And keep trusting God.
DO NOT DIE WITH YOUR POTENTIAL
Perhaps the saddest thing that can happen to a person is not failure.
It is never discovering what he or she could have become.
There are people carrying businesses inside them.
Books inside them.
Leadership inside them.
Innovations inside them.
Ministries inside them.
Ideas that could employ others.
Dreams that could transform communities.
But fear keeps them where they are.
They keep saying:
“One day.”
One day becomes next year.
Next year becomes another decade.
And eventually, the opportunity is gone.
Do not die with your potential.
The world may need what God has placed inside you.
Your family may need your breakthrough.
Your community may need your leadership.
Your generation may need your courage.
Rise. Grow. Build. Become.
SEE BEYOND TODAY
If all you see is today’s problem, tomorrow may frighten you.
But if you can see God’s possibility beyond today’s problem, you can face tomorrow with hope.
So when you look at your life, do not only ask:
“What do I have?”
Ask:
“What can God do with what I have?”
Do not only ask:
“Where am I?”
Ask:
“Where can God take me?”
Do not only ask:
“How difficult is this?”
Ask:
“What can this become in God’s hands?”
That is the mindset of faith.
A FINAL WORD TO YOU IN THIS REGARDS.
Perhaps you have been thinking too small because life has disappointed you.
Perhaps someone told you that you would never amount to anything.
Perhaps your background has made you afraid to dream.
Perhaps your current financial situation has made you lower your expectations.
Perhaps you have become comfortable with merely surviving.
Today, God is calling you to see again.
Lift your eyes.
Look beyond the limitation.
Look beyond the rejection.
Look beyond the failure.
Look beyond the present financial challenge.
Look beyond the small beginning.
Look beyond what people have said.
See what God can do.
Because your current reality may explain where you are but it does not have the authority to determine where God can take you to.
Ephesians 3:20 reminds us that God is able to do “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.”
Therefore, do not put a human-sized limit on a limitless God.
AS FAR AS YOU CAN SEE DETERMINES HOW FAR YOU WILL GROW.
Enlarge your vision.
Strengthen your faith.
Improve yourself.
Take the step.
Trust God.
And keep growing.
You may be starting small, but you do not have to remain small.
What you see today can become what you build tomorrow.
And by the grace of God,
YOUR BEST DAYS CAN STILL BE AHEAD OF YOU.
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, Open my eyes to see beyond my present circumstances.
Deliver me from small thinking, fear, discouragement and the limitations I have placed upon myself.
Help me to see the possibilities You have placed before me.
Give me courage to dream again, wisdom to plan, strength to work, patience to persevere and faith to trust You.
Where I see weakness, show me potential. Where I see scarcity, show me possibilities. Where I see an ending, show me a new beginning.
Help me never to reduce Your possibilities to my present circumstances.
Make my life fruitful. Make my work meaningful. Make my leadership impactful.
Let everything You have placed inside me become a blessing to my generation and generations yet unborn.
And above all, let my growth bring glory to Your name in Jesus mighty name, Amen.
SCRIPTURE FOR MEDITATION:
Ephesians 3:20
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”
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