Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

  - Ephesians 3.20

And I was not a worthy or fit person for what the Lord granted me, his minor servant: that after such calamities and such great burdens, after captivity, after many years, he should bestow on me, in relation to that people, so much that I had never hoped for or thought of in my youth.

  - Patrick, Confession, Irish, 5th century[1]

Patrick’s call as a missionary to Ireland came in the form of a dream. He saw an Irishman he’d known when he was a slave there, coming toward him, carrying a bundle of letters. One of the letters read, “Holy servant boy, come and walk among us.” He understood that God was calling him to return to Ireland and bring the Gospel to the Irish people.

Now Patrick might have responded to such a call out of his experience: “What? I’ve never done that before. How could I ever preach the Gospel? Besides, those people enslaved me for six years.”

That would have been a natural enough response. However, by this time in his life, Patrick was learning to live on a higher plane. He’d experienced God’s powerful deliverance, His miraculous provision, and His affirming presence. He had begun to understand God’s plan for the world, as he read about in the Scriptures.

He had come to see that God has power to do exceedingly abundantly more in and through us than what we’ve ever experienced or dared to think or ask. Resting in that power, Patrick went to Ireland, and four centuries of revival followed in his wake.

I was once asked by a student whether I thought today’s church leaders were working up to the level of their ability. “Is this the best they can do?” he wanted to know. This question arose during a discussion in which it was clear the students were disappointed with the Kingdom progress they saw in many of their churches.

I answered that I thought most church leaders had good intentions and more than adequate skills. But they were working up to the level of their vision, not their ability. They had more ability than they could ever plumb or exhaust; they just didn’t have the vision to realize it.

And that’s a problem for most of us. We don’t have the same vision as God has of what He can do in and through us.

God says, “exceedingly abundantly.”

We say, “I’ve never done that before.”

He says, “power at work within you.”

We say, “Oh I could never do that.”

He says, “dare to ask or think.”

We say, “I just can’t imagine how.”

He says “for the glory of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.”

We say, “Get someone else, Lord.”

The witness of Scripture is clear concerning the power that is at work within us; but few of us have the kind of vision and faith as Patrick, and so few of us ever achieve anything like his Kingdom attainments.

We may be working up to the level of our ability, but not of God’s, for we who know Jesus Christ have unlimited ability, exceedingly abundantly above anything we could ask or think, to realize the Kingdom of God coming in and through us in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit (Rom. 14.17, 18)

But rather than tap into that ability, and so go beyond our ability, we’re living and working up the level of our vision, which, alas, is all too often not in sync with God’s vision, because it is not based on God’s Word.

What vision will guide your life today? Whose abilities will you depend on in this life? God’s or yours? For the vision you embrace will determine the abilities you realize for following Jesus.

Psalm 9.1, 2, 11-13 (Diademata: Crown Him with Many Crowns)
I will give thanks, O Lord, with all my heart to You!
I’ll tell the wonders of Your love, so many and so true!
With joy to You I cry; Your glory I will raise;
Your matchless Name, O Lord on high, will I forever praise!

Praise then the Lord of Zion; declare His deeds abroad!
Praise Judah’s might saving Lion, the ever blessèd God!
His blood has washed us clean; He hears our plaintive cries,
He good to us has ever been and lifts us to the skies!

What is it with me, Lord? Am I just unwilling to turn myself completely over to You? To be wholly available to You? To risk everything for You? Exceedingly abundantly?

God is calling: Are you listening?
Jesus is sending you to the world as surely as He sent Patrick to Ireland (Jn. 20.21). Your world will be different from what his was, but you are called to take the Gospel to it, because it is your Personal Mission Field. Our Mission Partners Outreach is a six-month training program to help you identify and begin working your Personal Mission Field. As part of this training you’ll gain a vision of what God can do in and through you, as well as the skills to begin showing and sharing Jesus with the people in your everyday life. You don’t have to go anywhere, except wherever you go every day of your life. The training and materials are free. Watch the brief video introducing this training (click here), then download the brochure, find a friend, and get started. The people in your Personal Mission Field are looking for you to come to them, as surely as the people of Ireland were waiting for Patrick. Patrick went in God’s vision and ability, not his. What about you?

The Legacy of Patrick
To learn more about Patrick’s ministry, and the great revival that flowed from his work, order a copy of the book, The Legacy of Patrick, from our online store (click here).

Thank you
Thank you very much for your support and prayers during the year past. It is our privilege to serve you, and our joy to have you share with us in this work. The Lord supports our work through the prayerful and generous gifts of those who share our vision and are served by our ministry. I ask you to seek Him in prayer concerning this matter for the year to come. You can use the Contribute button at the website to give with a credit card or through PayPal, or you can send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction VT 05452.

T. M. Moore
Principal
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All psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.