Expanding

When God enlarges our territory, what are the telltale signs?

Do we feel any different? Does our mood change? Do the people around us change?  

When God is expanding us, there is a significant difference. We become anew. There is a freshness to us. God’s expansion equates to us being better and improving as He sees fit. While most people in society are aiming for the tangible things that they deem expands and improves their lives (like new cars, houses, jewelry, clothes, more money, etc.), we as the body of Christ should look to expand ourselves in a way that brings our Savior’s name glory and honor.

When we expand in the way God permits, we find that everything else is secondary. God will expand our spiritual life to a point where we desire to have a spiritual connection and hear from our Father above anything else. If God can expand our spirituality, we ought to know that He can expand every other aspect of our lives. If He decides to expand our finances, we should be able to bless someone else as He has richly blessed us. If God allows our relationships to flourish and expand, we should be willing to acknowledge Him within those relationships.

              God’s expansion in our lives is a game changer! It changes the way we move, think, and speak. It is an internal shift that shines outwardly in our beings and even to those connected to us. We ought to feel different. We should look, feel and act brand new. Expansion equals newness. This newness is a change from God.  We feel a newfound sense of love, joy, hope and purpose. Due to God’s expansion of our lives, even people we come in contact with will be connected and expand as well. God’s interaction in our lives is amazing!

As God expands every aspect of our lives, we must strive to exude the love and grace God has extended. It is nothing but the mercy and grace of our Lord that allows us to expand, to increase, and to be more than what we ever sought out to be. After all, the expansion of the Lord is in His plan for our lives while we are here on earth. So, let us think of how God will expand us in our lifetimes, never forgetting the process and the blessings that lie in our expansion!

Meditate on This: 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NIV)
Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.