Every once in a while, someone will ask me what I dreamed of doing when I was younger. And without fail, my immediate inclination is to respond with this answer:
“Oh, I didn’t have any dreams.”
I realize it may sound a little harsh (and maybe sad?), but as best I can recall, it’s the truth. For the most part I have always been deeply practical, way more concerned with what’s realistic than with something I might consider a pie-in-the-sky possibility. Given that, I probably discounted and dismissed anything that might qualify as a dream for the future long before that thing ever had an opportunity to take root in my heart.
As I’ve gotten older, though, I’ve grown to appreciate that our dreams for the future can actually propel us forward in our callings. I’ve come to realize that many times it’s the Lord who puts those dreams on our hearts. After all, if we don’t dream a little bit about what could be, we run the risk of living without vision. Plus, praying about those dreams and following the Lord as He leads us through them—well, that’s an adventure of a lifetime right there.
(Keep in mind that I never, ever thought I’d write a book, so I know firsthand about the joy that comes from following God into the unexpected.)
(And it is such a blast. Thank you and amen.)
All that to say: even though there’s a time and a place for practicality, there’s also a time and a place to dream big dreams with God. So if you’re pondering the passions and desires He has planted in your heart and maybe dreaming a little bit about how those things might play out in the future, consider these questions when you pray:
- If your dream comes to fruition, will God be glorified?
- Will pursuing your dream require you to abandon your integrity in any way?
- Is there anything in your present-day life—behavior, habits, sin—that could leave you with regrets and compromise your dream down the road?
- Do your parents, mentors, and other leaders in your life agree this path is a wise and healthy one for you?
- Are you doing the practical things in the here and now that will help you in the future?
If there’s a downside to being a dreamer, I guess it’s the possibility that dreams can become idols, and that we can get so preoccupied with a dream we miss the blessings in our real, right now life. We also run the risk of failure, but as theologian William G. T. Shedd once said, “A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” So whatever your dreams happen to be, remember this: somebody has to have that job or raise those kids or make that music or serve the lonely or fly airplanes—so why not you?
Tell God your dreams. Ask Him to guide and direct your steps, keeping you in the center of His will. He will do it.
Dream on, my friend.
1. Do you have any big dreams for your future? What are a few of them?
2. When you think about your dreams, do they seem realistic or unrealistic to you? Why do you think you have that reaction?
3. Have you ever had a dream come true and then the reality of it was nothing like you expected? What did you learn from that?
4. Reread the five questions in today’s devotion. Does anything jump out at you? Are you on the right course, do you think?
Today’s Prayer