I don’t have time for dreams!
When’s the last time that you had dreams? And I’m not talking about the “falling to your death” dream when you’re asleep. When is the last time you had an aspiration so big that it seemed impossible, even ridiculous? For many of us, it’s been a long time since we’ve allowed ourselves to dream.
As we get older and journey through life, I think we shut down our dream factory in favor of jobs, to-do lists, and family obligations. But oh, what are we missing! Big dreams require us to have faith that God will give us the tools and resources that we need to complete them.
Big dreams require us to exercise our faith
Plain and simple: cutting ourselves off from dreaming hampers our faith.
One of my favorite teachings on faith is in Matthew 17, where the disciples and Jesus were met with a boy who was possessed by a demon. The disciples had previously met him but were unable to do anything for him. Jesus ordered the boy be brought to Him and the demon immediately left and the boy was well. The disciples asked Jesus why they couldn’t help the boy. Jesus responds: “Because you’re not yet taking God seriously. The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn’t be able to tackle.” (Matthew 17:20-21, MSG)
For some of us, allowing ourselves to dream is not easy. A few years ago, God planted a dream in my heart to go to grad school. But that dream got buried for a while by too many practical questions: How are we going to pay for this? Will I be able to work full-time and go to school? How am I going to juggle being a wife and student? Can I really do this? But God is so good to us, even when we don’t recognize it. He placed people and situations in my path that made it abundantly clear that He was calling me to exercise my faith and follow my dream. And now, it’s the accomplishment I’m most proud of and it has better equipped me to serve God, my family and the church.
Uncover your buried dreams
What dream has God planted in your heart that is buried and needs to be uncovered? If you’re not dreaming, ask God to help you dream again. Surround yourselves with other dreamers who can encourage you when your dream seems overwhelming. And most importantly, allow your heart to be open, have faith and just see what God does.
