Who taught you to dream; who is the one that instilled in you the desire to fly? Who encouraged you, motivated you, and holds your heart so dear and close that they will not let you fail? God designed us to soar above the clouds. He designed us to scream through the night as a ball of beautiful light and heat. He has given us the desire to grow, He taught us to weep with joy in those moments when it seems so right.
“Faith is choosing and believing God’s dream for your life. Nothing starts happening in your life until you start dreaming. God gave you the ability to dream, to create, to imagine.” Rick Warren
You are all songwriters, poets, and authors. You all have the ability to create incredible stories. The over-the-top, overcoming-all-odds come-from-behind stories we love. God taught you to dream. He gave you all the tools to become everything you were designed to be. He has brought people into your life to keep you on track, He gave you passions and gifts to motivate you along the way. What He wants for you is greater than you can imagine.
FINDING THE DREAM
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
First, you have to navigate the universe. God is not the only force in your life. Adam and Eve get credit for that. Unfortunately, most of the input you get from the world is hostile. A lot of it is passive-aggressive. It doesn’t attack you straight on; it compares you to others in a way you cannot win. It doesn’t say you can’t do it; you just can’t be good at it. Sometimes a well-meaning friend or relative wants to help you see that your dreams are not pragmatic or grounded. They want to help you find a path to pay the bills or create a life. Dreams don’t always operate on the same economic structure as the world. Chasing your passion will lead to success. Maybe not the world’s version of success, but God’s version.
We function the highest when we operate within our ability and just outside of our comfort zone. One of the things that accelerate our development is adrenaline. Our brains operate entirely differently when we are hyped on adrenaline. Remember that fear will also tell you when operating outside of your ability. The key is to operate within your ability, your God-given gifts, and resources, but outside of the area of your life that makes you feel comfortable. We cannot defeat fear; we only manage it. We need to know the difference between the limits of our ability and the limits of our comfort.
“Listen to the mustn’ts, child, Listen to the don’ts, Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.” – Shel Silverstein.
OVERCOMING THE DREAMLESS
Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Who clipped your wings when you first got off the ground? What voice in your head said that it wouldn’t work? Whom do you know that never caught the vision? The world is full of people who know why things won’t work. Finding fault is easier than finding your way. Giving up is easier than pressing on. Remember, they are not riding your wave. They don’t feel the adrenalin; they have spent their lives lost in a maze of dead-ends and disappointment. They want to save you from their despair. But God knows differently. God knows why He put that idea, that passion, in your head. He has a plan for you.
Proverbs 19:21, “Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the Lord will prevail.”
If the people you let into your life to share your dream do not have an intimate relationship with Christ, their vision for you will be skewed. What they see for you and what God sees for you will not align. It is easy for them to find weaknesses because they look at your dream from the wrong angle. Everyone in your life has to be reading from the same playbook. That playbook is the Gospel. Christ must be the only coach.
LIVING YOUR DREAM
Dreams are not fairytales. They are not the happily ever after stories we loved as kids. Dreams are the culmination of hard work and tenacity. While being the most challenging job you’ll ever do, they are the most incredible job you will ever have. At the end of your time, you will look back with satisfaction on all you have accomplished for God’s kingdom. We were created for His pleasure.
Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”