Here Comes That Dreamer!

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I really didn’t understand what it meant to chase after your dreams until I got older. I now understand dreams move as fast as my days, and I need to embrace both. I recently celebrated another birthday, and with every birthday, I realize my wishes have developed into longings. A longing for more! Not more days, even though days are slipping away, but more fulfilling days.

Do you have the courage to dream about doing something you don’t possess the power to accomplish? I believe God gives us the desire to live beyond our abilities so we can be in awe of all He can do in and through us. Why should we settle for a life we can achieve? Why not dream for the impossible? Nothing is impossible with God. He takes us from impossible to “I’m-possible.” If you’re having a difficult time dreaming about the impossible, who or what has robbed you of your dreams? How do we find the heart to hold on to our dreams when life’s circumstances have demolished all desire to move forward? We must believe God wants to bless us. In Shattered Dreams, author Larry Crabb Larry Crabb writes, “There’s never a moment in all our lives, from the day we trusted Christ till the day we see Him, when God is not longing to bless us. At every moment, in every circumstance, God is doing us good. He never stops.”

When we believe God is more interested in disciplining us rather than blessing us, it robs us of energy to move forward. This is not true! God is for us! God is who gives us our dreams.

When I think of dreamers, Joseph immediately comes to mind. Joseph was the favored son of Jacob and was known in his family as “The Dreamer.” His brothers hated Joseph for being the favored son and were outraged when they heard about his dreams. They wanted Joseph out of their lives. In reading about the life of Joseph, I notice God uses painful and overwhelming circumstance to fulfill our God-given dreams. I doubt very seriously when Joseph was thrown in the pit or sold into slavery, he thought God was fulfilling his dreams. But every painful turn led Joseph one step closer to his dreams. From a slave to the ruler of Egypt, God never forgot or left Joseph, even when others forgot they promised to remember him. Joseph kept the faith, and his faith led him to his dreams. Joseph ignored his brothers’ jealousy and didn’t allow his circumstances to rob him of his dreams; we must do the same. Joseph eventually stopped telling others about his dreams and started living them. God wants to give us the desires of our hearts. The first step toward living the life we love is to ask God to place His dreams within our hearts. Larry Crabb explains, “Shattered dreams are never random. They are always a piece in a larger puzzle, a chapter in a larger story. Pain and suffering caused by shattered dreams must not be thought of as something to relieve if we can or endure if we must. It’s an opportunity to be embraced, a chance to discover our desire for the highest blessings God wants to give us, an encounter with Himself.”

Dreams are to be lived not chased. We don’t have to chase after something God has already given us. We just need to embrace what God has placed in our heart and take the next logical step in the direction of our dreams. If you find it difficult to dream or know how to move toward living out your dreams, ask Jesus to open the eyes of your heart and make it known to you. God will often birth your dreams through the passion hidden in your heart. As you seek Jesus to reveal His dreams for you, remember the highest dream God offers is an encounter with Himself. When we experience an encounter with Jesus, we will delight in everything else. When I read, “Don’t let small minds convince you dreams are too big,” by an unknown author, I wonder if Joseph wrote this when his brothers threw him in the pit? Seriously, never allow anyone to rob you of your dreams. God placed your dreams in your heart, and He will do everything in His power to push you toward your dream. As you discover your dreams, you will find your purpose. Over time you will discover the highest dream possible is an encounter with your God.

REFLECT

Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase (Martin Luther King).

RESPOND

What would you do if you knew you would not fail? Go do it! I happen to know you are never too old to dream.

The SipGuest UserSeptember 7, 2016