What it Takes to Realize Your Dream
(Proverbs 13:12)
(Proverbs 13:12)
As Christians, it is the hope that the dreams you have for yourself and the dreams that God has for you align. It is the hope that your heart is open for the work of God as He paints on the canvas of your heart that which you desire and envision as your dream.
To realize your dream you must ask and answer these five questions:
The dream should be something you can envision in your life. Freeing your imagination from the grip of the present to see what God’s dream is for your life. Give yourself permission to see it. God did not relegate imagination just to children, but it is something we all must use. That dream investing in our hearts should be seen in the future vision of our lives, as it is the first question, we must ask to realize our dream.
Not only is the sight of the dream an important factor to realizing it, but the desire is just as important. For we may see a dream in the future of our life, and not want that dream. The scripture of Psalm 37:4 says delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
“Pursuit is proof of desire.” – Pastor Billy R. Johnson
As we move through our lives during this season of change due to the pandemic, this time has undoubtedly been effective in causing us to eliminate the things that do not matter. Our desires may even be changing, but we are postured to embrace the desire and pursue that which we dream of.
We see the dream, our desire fuels our pursuit of that dream, and we must take into account what is required in our pursuit. What is required is development, discipline, & dedication for and to the dream. God is conforming us in the image of His son. He is developing us so that when we get to the pursuit of our dreams, we can take on the opportunity and not forfeit it.
“What steps have you taken to really develop what God has put in you in terms of the dream?” – Pastor Billy R. Johnson
In developing for the capacity to take on the dream, discipline is also required. The discipline of our time, money, energy, & effort is necessary in the development of our character as we prepare to take on the handling of the dream.
This speaks to your determination. There must be a level of determination that represents the belief in your purpose. That belief is the fuel of your determination that enables you to move forward, willing you to go forth and reach out for the dream you see and desire.
“God is still in the business of using every generation for His purpose.” – Billy R. Johnson
We must have a nevertheless mindset, that says to our heart, despite it all you have got to keep going for it.
“Getting started gives you the victory over procrastination.” – Billy R. Johnson
If you wait for the perfect conditions, you may never begin. However, simply getting started commits you to a course of action. It allows you to take one step, with the anticipation of another step, and yet another. With a plan to move forward and progress towards that which you see as the dream. God wants to give you a dream, but it requires your participation.
God provided an example of how to answer these questions in the face of realizing the dream He has for you. His example was His son, Jesus. Jesus could see the dream, realizing His purpose. His desire to fulfill that dream set Him on a course of action to fulfill that desire. There was much that was required of Him to fulfill this dream, and He was all too willing to go for it. God’s dream for us is not yet finished. This is only His latter part of the dream. The balance of His dream is that we be with Him eternally.
“Today we are participants in God’s dreams.” – Billy R. Johnson