Are Your Big Dreams as Big as Your God?
By Wayne Stiles
http://www.waynestiles.com/category/devotional/
Life gets fueled on dreams. Without big dreams or a purpose, we wither and die.
As Christians, we have more to do than get up, work hard, and come home for a few hours of television . . . only to rise and begin again.
If that’s all we do, we will wake up at age 65 and realize life has amounted to a stack of paychecks and a few laughs.
God wants more for us than that.
Where Big Dreams Come From
The Apostle Paul had lived about 50 years when he penned his letter to the Christians living in Rome.
With three missionary journeys under his belt, six books of Scripture to his credit, and thousands of people impassioned for God, Paul held quite a portfolio in his hands.
If Paul’s career had stopped right there, no one would have protested; everyone would have stood up and applauded. Many would see age 50 as about time to start coasting and counting the years until retirement.
But not Paul.
Paul had big dreams. He continued to imagine
how he could still do more for Christ. He wanted to go to Spain, the western limit of the Roman Empire. This represented bold and big dreams—audacious some might say!
But Paul had a big God. So Paul planned for Spain (oh, and he also wrote seven more New Testament letters).
“There is an important dimension to hanging tough that you dare not miss. It is the thing that keeps you going. I call it a dream.”—Charles R. Swindoll
God’s Dream and Ours
Christ’s Great Commission blesses us with an incredible purpose: “Make disciples of all the nations” (Matt. 28:19). Beyond making money, we need to purpose to make disciples—in our homes, in our churches and in our world.
In whatever ways you do that, those are your big dreams.
- So, what’s your “Spain”—what’s your passion?
- Do you have a purpose bigger than yourself?
- Is that purpose as big as your God?
If your big dreams are for God’s glory, you cannot fail.
Question: What big dreams do you live for? Please leave a comment.
Adapted from Wayne Stiles, Going Places with God: A Devotional Journey Through the Lands of the Bible (Ventura, CA: Regal, 2006), p. 116. Used by permission.
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While I use the word ‘goals’ rather than dreams, yes, I have many – long term and short term.
God called me into ministry to children and teens many decades ago. That ministry grew and involved much travelling away from home for two to three weeks at a time. When I had to leave that ministry because my husband could no longer cope on his own, I didn’t just ‘retire’. God gave me new goals and He enables me to reach those goals, fulfilling His purpose.
This is ALL HIS WORK. I could not have even contemplated my ministry, let alone complete ANY of my goals of myself.
God’s calling involves His enabling. When He calls us to fulfill a dream, a goal, a mission or whatever we call it, He also supplies everything necessary for us to complete it. Age is no barrier. Ability is no barrier. Our God is able and willing and ready to use a vessel committed to Him.
What an amazing God!
Praise the Lord! Jesus gives real meaning, purpose and hope to us who believe in Him. Indeed our big God gives us big dreams and helps us bring them to fruition for His glory and to our greatest satisfaction. We serve a great, big, wonderful God, in the words of a Sunday School chorus because He extends the borders of our dreams..