Dare to Dream

Are you stuck in your head at work, contemplating all the things you would do if finances and skill and expectations and responsibilities and time restraints weren’t factors to consider? Just daydreaming of the daring, crazy, adventurous life you’d have if you could do anything your heart desired, if the sky was really the limit? Or are you focused on the task at hand and don’t waste your mind space thinking of things that will likely never become realities? Or maybe you’re somewhere in the middle: allowing yourself to fantasize but only entertaining realistic, achievable goals and dreams. You see, there’s a dichotomy at work in our culture. As an American, the “American dream” concept is drilled into our heads since birth. The idea that no matter your social class, race, gender, income level or other determining factor, you can be and do anything you put your mind to. And you can. But when push comes to shove, reality sets in and bills need to be paid, mouths have to be fed, and loans must be paid off. The focus is on surviving and making ends meet. You get married or have a child and you must sacrifice part of yourself for your family. Some of your dreams die or get buried for a later time because in this season, they’re just not practical. And maybe you dig them back up one day after your kids are grown. Or maybe you forget about them and become disillusioned with the everyday grind and your dreams are reduced to just having 10 minutes to yourself without the kids or having that week of vacation in the summer.

Whatever the case is for you, I want to challenge you to start dreaming again. It doesn’t matter what stage of life you’re in or how impractical it seems, open up your mind and allow yourself to imagine your desires being realized. Dream big. Dream crazy. But this time, invite God into your dreaming process. Start brainstorming and then ask the Holy Spirit to invade your thoughts and shape your dreams so that they stem from a pure heart, for His glory and not your own. The bigger the dream, the better. The Lord isn’t afraid of daring, impossible dreams. If it’s for His glory, He welcomes them. Because the harder the dream is to achieve by human standards, the more glory He gets when the dream is realized. Because others can see that there’s no way you could have achieved it on your own, without divine intervention. He loves to show up and show off. The more impossible the dream, the more faith is required. And the Lord is not restricted by our human constraints; His resources are limitless. Write down what your passions, skills, giftings, and things that break your heart are. Then start dreaming and look for ways to combine those things (for a career, ministry, etc). Seek out counsel from friends who have actually achieved God-given dreams. The book “The Dream Giver” has been highly recommended to me so I’d suggest that. (I need to read it myself!)  You’re never too old to dream. As they say, “If you’re not dead, God’s not done!”

Now dreaming in itself is liberating and stretches your faith and ignites hope down deep in your soul.  It awakens parts of you that may have been dormant for awhile. But it’s what you do with your dreams that really counts. Sometimes we get caught up in the dreaming stage and we never do the work to make the dream a reality. We let our fears or peers get in the way.  We think, “It’s too hard. I don’t have time. What will _____ think? Someone else will do it. I’ll do it later.” If we never go after any of our God-given dreams, we are shirking our responsibilities. We are not living up to our full potential and the world suffers as a result. We are, in essence, burying our talents in the ground. And we’re missing out on God’s best for us.

Instead, once you’ve allowed yourself to dream with the Lord, ask Him for wisdom in which dream to pursue. Then just follow His gentle nudging and take one step of obedience. It might not make sense according to the world’s standards and you likely won’t have the full confirmation you need. But, He just wants you to step out in faith and then He’ll bless it and guide you. If you fall, you’ll fall forward because you’ll learn something and deepen your faith in the process. Also, it’s more about the journey than the destination. The Lord will use your obedience to refine you and grow you. When you step out and He shows up, then you trust Him more and gain the courage to take the next step. It’s more about who you’re becoming than the end result, anyways. But if you never push yourself out of your comfort zone to the point that you’re in trouble if God doesn’t show up, you’ll never grow in your faith. And you’ll miss out on the amazing adventures and things He has for you.

Throughout this year, I’ve been challenged to dream often and dream big. And then circle those dreams in prayer. It builds your faith and cultivates perseverance, hope, joy, trust, and boldness. You see, by nature, I’m not a dreamer. I’d rather stay in the known misery than risk it all to venture into the possibility-filled unknown. I’m not typically a risk taker. I am a perfectionist and I’m afraid of failure. I value stability, comfort, and full bank accounts. But, the Lord is stretching me and opening up my eyes to all He has for me, and it’s infinitely more than I could ask for or imagine. But it comes at a cost. He asks that I surrender my everything to Him: my finances, career, health, possessions, family, friends, future, pleasures, and dreams. And in return, He will take me on a grand adventure in which I can use my giftings and talents for the Kingdom, for a purpose higher than myself: to make His name known and love others as He first loved me.

So, what will I do after the Race, you ask? Good question. Not quite sure yet. But I do know one thing. I will not settle for the easy, the known, the comfortable, the safe path. I will step out into the great unknown, trusting in the One who knows it all. I will dare to dream big and I’ll chase those dreams, making one feeble step of faith at a time. And I’ll enjoy the journey: walking hand-in-hand with my Savior.

So, what about you? Will you dare to dream the impossible and then go after it? Will you disregard society’s expectations and your own limitations and pursue the Lord and what He has for you above all? It’s your choice. He won’t force you. Why not trade the ordinary for the supernatural? After all, we only have this one life. So, don’t waste it. Grab ahold of your destiny and invite the Lord in to have His way with you. And then get excited for what He will do. Be bold. Dream big. Step out. What are you waiting for?