“Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine.” Ephesians 3:20 NRSVUE
In our daily lives, we are governed by limits. A limit is defined as a point or level beyond which something may not pass. It is a boundary where something ceases to be possible, or a maximum amount that cannot be exceeded. We use the word “beyond” to describe tasks beyond our reach, reasoning that surpasses our comprehension, or boundaries, like an “Employees Only” sign that we are not to cross.
Unfortunately, many people apply this “border mindset” to their faith. We often claim to believe in a God of the “beyond,” yet we subliminally post “Employees Only” signs over our greatest problems, questioning if they are truly within God’s reach. To move past this, we must understand two core concepts:
- God is beyond us: He exists outside space and time, beyond our full grasp.
- God is near us: He is present with us and knowable.
The Apostle Paul’s doxology in Ephesians 3:20-21 is anchored in the “mystery of Christ” — the making of a new family in which ancient social walls are removed, joining all people together (Eph 3:1-13). This praise provides a framework for breaking the border mindset by focusing on two characteristics of God.
God’s Capability: His inherent ability to act
Scripture asserts that God is not idle, inactive, or dead (Psalm 115:3-7). He is a God who works, and His work is never impulsive; rather, He works from a place of divine purpose (Romans 8:28). Because He is strong and mighty, His capability extends to every facet of our lives:
- He can do what we ask: He hears and answers our specific prayers.
- He can do what we think: He understands our unspoken thoughts.
- He can do what we imagine: He operates in the realm beyond our logic.
Even if His full power is beyond our total comprehension, it does not exclude us from experiencing His work.
God’s capacity: The enormous extent of his work
While capability is about what God can do, capacity is about the scale on which He does it. God’s capacity for giving far exceeds our human capacity for imagining. As Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us, His ways and thoughts are as far beyond ours as the heavens are higher than the earth.
Paul uses language that pushes the boundaries of grammar to show that God does not give according to a calculated measure. Various translations of Ephesians 3:20 express the scale of God’s capacity – God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think (KJV). God can accomplish infinitely more than we ask or imagine (NIV). God can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (NLT).
Ultimately, because of God’s capability, He can do all; because of God’s capacity, He can do above all.
Twice in Scripture, God poses a rhetorical question to humans facing impossible situations: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14; Jeremiah 32:27). When we face our own “borders,” know that God poses the same question to us.
I challenge you to believe the Lord for more. Do not just pray for what you can comprehend; pray for what only God can perform. If you have been bringing a thimble to God’s waterfall, it is time to trade it in for a barrel and take the limits off your expectations.
Rev. Johnson Beaven III is a speaker, theological educator, and ministry mentor. For more information, view linktr.ee/johnsonbeaven. Contact him via email at jb3ministries@gmail.com or on X @jbiiiministries.
