Dream Big!
Over the past few months, I have been in full planning mode for our annual company wide conference. It truly has been fun and rewarding. Im a visionary and love to plan events and think about how I can play a small part in impacting others. I approach my job with the attitude of if we build our people, we will build our business.
The theme this year for our conference is “Dream Big!” I’ve thought a lot about how we can encourage one another to cast a vision and go after it. This one is for my Varsity Spirit friends, and anyone else who may feel like their dreaming days are gone or diminished. After all, dreaming is for kids right? Not adults!
What does God say about being a dreamer? What does He want from us and what does He want for us? How can we dream professionally, spiritually, and relationally? These are all questions I’ve pondered in getting ready for this conference. Here are a few things God has placed on my heart this week.
1. God Wants Us to Dream
Oh yes, He does! He wants you to cast a vision and imagine what your future life could be. He wants you to find joy in working toward and achieving your hearts desires. BUT He doesn’t just want that for you. He wants us to invite Him into our dreams. He can do “immeasurably more than we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20), but the kicker is He can… not YOU can. What would happen if you involved God in your dreams? I believe it’s one of the greatest displays of His power. He loves taking ordinary people coupled with His extraordinary power to accomplish amazing things. It’s what our God does. So here’s what you need to do: Dream a bit. Ask yourself “What does amazing look like with God by my side?”
2. You already possess the skills to get there.
Moses dreamed of freeing the Hebrew people. He didn’t know how he was going to do it and he certainly doubted his capacity. But God gave him all the tools he needed way in advance. Think about it…. What did Moses use to do all the amazing signs and wonders of God? He used the staff. This staff wasn’t a special, magical staff. Moses had the staff in his hand years before God gave him this special assignment. In fact, Moses used this tool everyday in his job… something very ordinary. At the right time God used this normal everyday staff to accomplish the dream of Moses. What about you? I bet you have skills and tools that seem ordinary and mundane. I believe God will help you realize your dream by sharpening the skills you use every day. Moses had the staff in his hand all along. So do you.
3. God will give you what you ask.
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” John 15:7
This verse is often taken out of context. At first glance, this looks like everything we ask will be given to us. That’s not exactly what this verse is saying. There are two things I want you to consider when reading this. The first:
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you”
If we are fully in tune with Jesus and the Word of God, our vision and dreams will align with His. When our dreams align with Jesus, He can give us what we ask. The only way to “remain in Him” is to spend your day with Him, read His Word, and spend time in prayer.
The second thing: Sometimes when we “don’t get what we want”, it’s not always God telling us, “No.” If you don’t see your dreams and requests coming to fruition, ask God to change your perspective. Let me show you what I mean by that. Let’s say you dream of having a new job and you have made that request known to God. What if you started asking God to give you a renewed since of purpose in your current position? Ask God to show you one person that needs your impact. Ask God to bless you and help you bless others. Changing your perspective will in essence answer that prayer request for a new job. One more example: Maybe you dream of being debt free one day. You are asking God to help you navigate that request. Well… for Christians, we are debt free. Jesus ensured that when He went to the cross. I know that doesn’t fix all money issues, but He essentially answered that request if you change your perspective.
I want you to take a few minutes today to dream. As adults, we rarely get a chance to do that. God wants you to dream. He wants to be a part of your dreams. He gave you all of the experiences, talents, and vision to make it happen. And if you find yourself wondering why God hasn’t given you what you request…. Ask Him to help change your perspective.
Go on…Dream Big. I dare you.
