"He'll have to change his mindset for this race," the speed skating commentator said as another group prepared for a qualifying race.  The young people in the Olympics are often described as envisioning their entire routine before they take to the ice or the slopes.  They've been taught to picture themselves perfectly executing their routine, their race, their downhill run.  If they can't picture it, they won't attain it.

  St. Paul spoke of a similar concept long ago.  We who have the Spirit have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:10-16), and God reveals to us his thoughts.  Further God is able to do more than we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).  If we only ask for a little thing, we don't imagine the big thing that God wants to do.  If we can imagine or envision perfection according to our standards, God can do more.  If we put on the mind of Christ, we can see God's vision and then pray or act accordingly.

  To return to the sports world, for many years no one ran a mile in under 4 minutes.  It was thought to be impossible, until someone did it (Roger Bannister).  The bar was raised and runners began to think in terms of less than 4 minutes.  We too can raise the bar of what we expect God to accomplish through our lives and in our world by putting on the mind of Christ and remembering that he can do more than we can ask or imagine  

  For reflection:  What is God calling us to ask or imagine through his Spirit?  Can we picture it?

  Let us pray.  May God grant us, according to his riches in glory, to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in our inner man.  May Christ dwell in our hearts through faith so that we, being rooted and grounded in love, may have the power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and may we know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that we may be filled with all the fullness of God.  To God, who by the power at work in us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever.  Amen.  (based on Ephesians 3:16-21)