At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.”

Luke 10:21 NIV

As Jesus experienced the Holy Spirit’s superpower of joy, he taught us something important: that God is not merely a God of the intellectual mind, but a God of the imagination. Jesus taught this by highlighting children, who are the natural possessors of this quality. 

The God who created this world expresses his creative power, and since we are made in his image, we hold within us this same power—to see the unseeable, to believe the unbelievable, and to see the impossible as inevitable. But we can only possess the powers of this faith-fueled imagination when we let go of our humanism and embrace the spirituality of pure imagination.

I have experienced no shortage of disappointments this year. At these moments, I have had a choice: discouragement or imagination. The Scriptures helped me to choose imagination.

No one who trusts in you will be disappointed. But disappointment will come to those who try to deceive others. They will get nothing.

Psalm 25:3 ERV

And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Romans 5:5 NLT

God has led me to these verses and others like them, helping me understand that he is a God who wants me to experience happiness. Yes, the path to the fulfillment of my dreams comes with obstacles and difficulties, with hazards and hardship. But navigating these challenges with trust and faith in God will give rise to the most powerful asks and imaginings of my heart.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV

In the midst of the noise of disappointment and discouragement, we must remember faith in God and the power of our God-given imagination to conquer this life. After all, Albert Einstein drew the same conclusion when looking at science; imagination is not merely the delusional denial of reality by mystery-believing Christians, but a fact experienced by one of the greatest empirical minds to ever live.

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.

Albert Einstein, interview by George Sylvester Viereck, “What Life Means to Einstein,” The Saturday Evening Post, October 26, 1929.

Though we can’t always put it into words, our imagination is what we long for when we think about the holidays of our childhood. It’s that magical feeling that anything is possible—that reindeer can fly, a snowman can come alive, and our greatest desire will appear in our living room on Christmas morning. 

Kids have imagination in spades, but it’s a myth that imagination is only for childhood. Adults can dream too—and this time of year calls us to do it. That magical feeling comes back to us with the scent of gingerbread and jingle bells, pumpkin pie and freshly cut pine trees, but it doesn’t come with the same ease of childhood.

It’s safer, it seems, to not imagine anymore, to settle for a whirlwind season of emotion and tradition without the fantastical visions dancing in our heads. The noise of daily anxiety, disappointments, and difficulties drowns out God’s voice calling us to dream.

But what if this holiday season were different? What if this were a season of imagination for us, when we let the magic come back?

Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, [21] to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21 AMP

God can do infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams—which means we must let ourselves imagine. What’s possible for ourselves, our families, or our future? What could we do and become if we listened to God’s voice of wonder over our minds’ voices of cynicism? 

In the US, we are celebrating Thanksgiving this week, which brings the unofficial start to the Christmas season. For many of us, this means a change in routine and perhaps more time to reflect. While holidays can bring stress and busyness of their own, they also bring opportunities. This weekend, what if you made time to hear God’s voice in the midst of the noise? What vision could he show you? How could he revive your imagination? 

Here’s what YAHWEH says to you: “I know all about the marvelous destiny I have in store for you, a future planned out in detail. My intention is not to harm you but to surround you with peace and prosperity and to give you a beautiful future, glistening with hope. 

Jeremiah 29:11 TPT

Our team has created a weekend’s worth of spiritual content to help us turn this holiday season into a season of vision and imagination. 

Quiet the noise with our NEW Scripture Playlist

God speaks to us in a quiet whisper, gently calling us to come to him. When we quiet the noise in our hearts and minds, we make room for God’s Word and the ability to imagine. Listen to our new Scripture Playlist called “Scriptures to Quiet the Noise” to learn how to hear God’s voice through the noise of life.

More spirituality for your Thanksgiving weekend

Find your path to gratitude—with Charlie Brown.

Gratitude plays a key role in getting our spiritual vision and imagination back. To find your “path to gratitude,” take our Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Quiz.

Depleted by holiday demands? 

Learn how to simplify your focus and stay focused on your faith with this interactive Bible study, “The Distractible Person’s Guide to a Great Holiday Season.”

Quick Quiet Times

Fuel your imagination with faith from God’s Word. These Quick Quiet Times will inspire you even when hard things happen:

• Grieving with God: A devotional for walking through pain. When life brings disappointment, God brings hope.
• The Gratitude Glasses: Gratitude doesn’t mean ignoring our pain. It means choosing to see purpose in the middle of it.
• Gratitude Over Grumbling: Gratitude is a spiritual weapon that protects our vision and invites God’s power into our lives.