God Has Given You More Than You Imagine

I still get goosebumps thinking about one of the most exhilarating moments of my college years. It was during my junior year at the Conference Swimming Championships, and everything was on the line. Our team's 4x200 freestyle relay wasn't just another race—it was the difference between victory and defeat for the entire meet.

I was swimming the third leg, and when I mounted the blocks, my heart sank. We were behind our chief rival by more than a body length. The pressure was immense. I knew I had to swim the race of my life, and I did. I gave everything I had in that 200 freestyle, posting my personal best time. But it wasn't enough. We were still behind.

Then came our anchor swimmer, Rich Taylor—and yes, that's his real name, which I always thought was pretty cool because it's like a complete sentence. "Rich Taylor," just like "Mark Spitz," another legendary swimmer. When Rich hit the water, we were still a full body length behind, and the guy in the next lane was the defending conference champion.

I was gasping for air, my lungs burning, and honestly, I was almost out of hope. But then something magical happened at the 100-yard turn. Rich had somehow managed to pull even, and it looked like he might actually have enough left in the tank to hold on.

The atmosphere was electric. Our teammates were going absolutely crazy on the bench, screaming at the top of their lungs. Those of us behind the starting blocks were yelling ourselves hoarse. Even our rivals in the next lane were making an incredible amount of noise, cheering for their guy.

But as we all watched in amazement, Rich Taylor didn't just hang on—he started pulling away. Stroke by stroke, breath by breath, he was dominating that pool. Over the final 100 yards, he opened up an entire body length lead. We didn't just win; we absolutely demolished the competition.

I remember the pure joy of pulling him from the water, the high-fives, the celebration. It was one of those perfect moments that stays with you forever. Rich Taylor had swum like a man possessed, like nothing in the world could stop him from delivering that victory for our team.

That moment taught me something profound about having the right person in the right position at the right time. Rich was like a force of nature in that pool—unstoppable, determined, exactly what we needed when we needed it most.

Ephesians
This memory came flooding back to me recently as I've been reflecting on a passage from Ephesians chapter 4. For the past month, I've been diving deep into the reality that God is so much more than just a name we call out when we're desperate. I've been learning about the incredible spiritual blessings He's given us, and how He's able to do immeasurably more than anything we could ask or imagine.

But there are two specific gifts from God that I think we often overlook or take for granted, and they're both described in Ephesians 4. The first one is found in verses 7-12, where Paul writes about how when Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave gifts to His people. These gifts are special people: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.

Think about it—these are the Rich Taylors of the church. Without them, we'd have little hope of winning the spiritual battles we face. With them, we can overcome incredible obstacles and challenges because they're the ones who lead us through crises and prepare us for the work God has called us to.

An apostle is someone who plants churches and breaks new ground for the gospel. A prophet speaks God's truth into situations. An evangelist has a special gift for sharing the Good News so people come to faith in Jesus. Pastors shepherd and care for local church communities. Teachers help people understand and apply God's Word to their lives.

What's beautiful about this is that most of these gifted leaders aren't necessarily paid staff members. They're volunteers who feel called to use their gifts to serve others. In my own church experience, I've seen this lived out in amazing ways. We have volunteers who lead small groups, teach classes, mentor young people, and serve in countless other capacities.

I think about people like the veteran pastor who recently started a Spanish-speaking small group in our church, or the dedicated volunteers who spend their weekends on mission trips, or the men and women who come in day after day to help with building projects and maintenance. These are the people God has given us as gifts—ordinary people doing extraordinary things because they're walking in their spiritual calling.

The Second Gift
The second gift that often goes unnoticed is described later in Ephesians 4, starting in verse 22. Paul talks about the new nature that God gives us when we come into relationship with His Son. He says we can "put off the old self" and "put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

This is where the analogy really hits home for me. Before I came to faith, I felt like I was swimming that third leg of the relay, giving everything I had but still falling short. I was trying to be a good person, trying to do the right things, but I kept coming up lacking. My old nature was like being stuck with only one option—and it wasn't a winning option.

But when I received Christ, everything changed. Suddenly I had two natures to choose from. I could still operate from my old, broken self, or I could choose to live from the new nature God had given me. It's like having access to a champion swimmer when you need one most.

Implications
The practical implications of this are huge. Paul gets very specific about what this new nature enables us to do. Instead of stretching the truth, we can speak honestly. Instead of sinning when we get angry, we can handle our emotions in healthy ways. Instead of taking shortcuts or taking things that don't belong to us, we can do useful, productive work with our hands. Instead of saying things that tear others down, we can control our words and use them to build people up.

Instead of being filled with bitterness, rage, and malice, we can actually get rid of those toxic emotions without dumping them on the people around us. Instead of being harsh and cruel, we can be kind and compassionate. Instead of holding grudges, we can forgive others the same way Christ has forgiven us.

This doesn't mean the old nature disappears completely. It's still there, like that first option. But now we have a choice. We can choose which "shirt" to wear, so to speak. We can choose which nature to operate from in any given moment.

Left to my own devices, I'm honestly not a very likeable person. I can be selfish, impatient, judgmental, and harsh. But with Christ in me—which is another way of saying "when I'm choosing to live from my new nature"—I'm like a relay team with Rich Taylor swimming anchor. I can actually win. I can do the right thing and avoid doing the wrong thing.

The Power of Words
One of the areas where this shows up most clearly is in how we use our words. Paul specifically mentions not letting "unwholesome talk" come out of our mouths, but instead speaking only what's helpful for building others up. This is one of the hardest parts of the old nature to surrender because our tongues react so quickly, sometimes before we even have time to think about which nature we're operating from.

Words have incredible power. They can build up or tear down, encourage or discourage, heal or wound. When we're walking in our new nature, our words become tools for blessing others rather than weapons that cause harm.

I've been thinking a lot about communion lately and how even the simple word "take" carries so much meaning. We take hints, take breaks, take chances. We take care of people or take advantage of them. When a minister says "Do you take this woman to be your wife?" something significant happens. When Jesus says "Take and eat, this is my body given for you," those words carry sacred weight.

The beauty of the gospel is that God has given us more than we ever imagined possible. He's given us gifted leaders to help us grow and serve. He's given us a new nature that actually enables us to live like Him. He's given us the power to choose blessing over cursing, truth over deception, kindness over cruelty, forgiveness over bitterness.

The question isn't whether these gifts are available to us—they are. The question is whether we'll recognize them, value them, and choose to live from them. Will we be like that relay team that recognizes we have Rich Taylor ready to swim anchor? Will we trust in the gifts God has given us and live accordingly?

God has given you more than you've imagined.

I'm still learning to live from this truth, still discovering new depths of what it means to put on that new nature every day. But I'm convinced that when we truly grasp how much God has given us—both in terms of the people He's placed in our lives and the new identity He's given us in Christ—everything changes.

We stop living like victims and start living like victors. We stop operating from scarcity and start operating from abundance. We stop swimming alone and start swimming as part of a team that has everything needed to win.

The race isn't over, and there are still challenges ahead. But God has given us more than we've imagined—more than enough to finish strong and finish well.

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