“He replied, “…I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can
say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you “
Matthew 17:20
A thought is a silent word, so a word is an exposed thought. Everything in life starts in the thought form—it’s a thought first. After it’s said, it is no longer a thought. It becomes a word. The next step is an idea. An idea is the concept of the thought— it has moved into a reality. Ideas are potentials.
The third level of operation is what I call imagination. Imagination changes an idea into a plan. If you have an idea it can come and go. You have many ideas in a day—what to cook, what to wear, what to do. You may decide the night before what you are going to wear in the morning and then wake up with a different idea. Ideas change. But if an idea develops into an imagination, it means the idea has become a plan. It is still not written or drawn, but it is in your head. Imagination is therefore a plan that is not documented. It is a visual display of your thoughts and ideas. Ephesians 3:20 challenges us to believe God is able and willing to do “exceeding abundantly far beyond all we can think or imagine.” He dares us to use our imaginations.
If you want to be successful in life, take your ideas and turn them into imagination; then take imagination and duplicate it physically. Put it down. Let it become a plan of action.
Many people never get beyond the idea stage. That’s sad. They are usually followers. The people who get to the imagination stage often talk a lot but they do nothing. They are dreamers. But when a man or woman takes his imagination and puts it on paper, you are looking at a visionary who is becoming a missionary. Visionaries see great things in their minds. Many visionaries are in the graveyard. They had visions, but their visions never made it to mission. When a visionary becomes a missionary, you have a man or woman who is going to change the world.
Plans are documented imaginations.
