The Dream Giver
Walt Disney once said, “All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.” Recently my wife and I took a trip to Orlando, Florida. In the mid 1960’s Walt had a big dream that would reshape the Orlando area into the biggest vacation attraction in the world. His big dream…Walt Disney World. The price…he bought up all of the land surrounding Orlando. Today, over 40 years later, the whole landscape of the Orlando, Florida area has been changed because of the Big Dream of one man.
God has a Big Dream for your life! It’s true. In fact God has a Big Dream for all of His children. Proverbs 29:18 reads, “Without a vision the people perish.” Part of being a healthy and whole human being is to have a dream for your life that is bigger than you and that transcends your lives.
This truth is seen throughout the Scriptures. God’s Big Dream for Noah was to build the Ark! God’s Big Dream for Abraham was to be the father of the Jewish people. God’s Big Dream for Moses was to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. God’s Big Dream for Joseph was to rule over Egypt. God’s Big Dream for David was to be the King of Israel. God’s Big Dream for Peter was to be the leader of the early church. God’s Big Dream for Paul was to take the gospel to the Gentiles.
God has a Big Dream for your life. You can know it is His dream: if you hear God speak it to you over and over again when you listen; if it involves building His kingdom and impacting the lives of others: if others confirm that this is God’s will for your life; if you get great joy and peace when you are pursuing that dream. This does not mean that it will be easy to pursue your Big Dream…but it will free right and good and fill your heart with joy!
Let me use an illustration to help explain how you can know that you have found your Big Dream. I love to play tennis. Every tennis racket has a “sweet spot” in the middle of the racket. When a ball hits the sweet spot on the racket it just feels right and it gives the ball an extra little oomph when it is hit. Your Big Dream is the “sweet spot” of your life. When you hit it you will know it and feel it and it will give your life oomph!
You have to move beyond your comfort zone to live out your Big Dream. Living in your comfort zone can keep you from doing the very thing you most want to do…live out God’s Big Dream for your life. In the book, The Dream Giver, Bruce Wilkinson explains, “A comfort zone is our cozy quilt of relationships. It’s the padding of routines that make us feel good. It’s the security fence of acceptable behavior. It’s the steel mesh of our past successes and failures” (p. 88). The desire for comfort can be the enemy of our Big Dream and ultimately our desire for comfort is rooted in selfishness. Sadly, many people end up making personal comfort their Dream. Proverbs 3:5-6 reads, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” To move beyond your comfort zone you need to trust God that his Big Dream for your life is worth the risk and that He will lead you to overcome your fears and make your path straight.
There will be GIANTS who stand against your dreams…Run towards your GIANTS! When you leave your comfort zone and begin to live God’s Big Dream for your life you will encounter GIANTS…it is inevitable. Moses confronted the Pharaoh, Joseph confronted his brothers, Daniel confronted the lions in the den, and Peter confronted the waves on the Sea of Galilee. What should you do when giants stand against you? Run towards them! That’s what David did when he confronted Goliath, the 8 ½ foot tall Philistine who put the scare on the entire army of Israel. I Samuel 17:48 reads, “When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.” Goliath came with a massive array of armor and weapons. David had one little sling and five smooth stones…and one other thing on his side…GOD!!! When giants come into your life to attack your dream run towards them in the power and strength of the Lord. Allow God to be strong on your behalf and to defeat the enemies standing before you.
God’s Big Dream for my life has been to serve as a pastor in a growing and dynamic Spirit filled New Testament Church. I have encountered many giants in over 25 years of ministry. Sometimes these giants have been people, sometimes finances, and sometimes demonic forces in the spiritual realm. But, I have seen God defeat giants over and over again when I run towards them in His strength and I have learned that God is eager to show Himself strong toward Dreamers who take risks to do what He wants done.
Lastly, God will be your Champion to help you fulfill His Big Dream for your life! To fulfill God’s Big Dream for your life you need a Dream Coach, a Champion who will stand by your side and encourage you onto the finish line day after day. Hopefully God will bring friends and family and colleagues into your life to spur you on to fulfill your dreams. But most importantly, God will be your champion. II Chronicles 16:9 reads, “For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” In all the battles of life and ministry that I have experienced I have seen over and over again that God is my Champion and that He is always there and that He never leaves my side. God wants to be your Champion! Trust Him! Believe in Him! Take Him by the hand and walk with Him each day as you begin to live out His Big Dream for your life.
God has a Big Dream for your life! It’s true. In fact God has a Big Dream for all of His children. Proverbs 29:18 reads, “Without a vision the people perish.” Part of being a healthy and whole human being is to have a dream for your life that is bigger than you and that transcends your lives.
This truth is seen throughout the Scriptures. God’s Big Dream for Noah was to build the Ark! God’s Big Dream for Abraham was to be the father of the Jewish people. God’s Big Dream for Moses was to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. God’s Big Dream for Joseph was to rule over Egypt. God’s Big Dream for David was to be the King of Israel. God’s Big Dream for Peter was to be the leader of the early church. God’s Big Dream for Paul was to take the gospel to the Gentiles.
God has a Big Dream for your life. You can know it is His dream: if you hear God speak it to you over and over again when you listen; if it involves building His kingdom and impacting the lives of others: if others confirm that this is God’s will for your life; if you get great joy and peace when you are pursuing that dream. This does not mean that it will be easy to pursue your Big Dream…but it will free right and good and fill your heart with joy!
Let me use an illustration to help explain how you can know that you have found your Big Dream. I love to play tennis. Every tennis racket has a “sweet spot” in the middle of the racket. When a ball hits the sweet spot on the racket it just feels right and it gives the ball an extra little oomph when it is hit. Your Big Dream is the “sweet spot” of your life. When you hit it you will know it and feel it and it will give your life oomph!
You have to move beyond your comfort zone to live out your Big Dream. Living in your comfort zone can keep you from doing the very thing you most want to do…live out God’s Big Dream for your life. In the book, The Dream Giver, Bruce Wilkinson explains, “A comfort zone is our cozy quilt of relationships. It’s the padding of routines that make us feel good. It’s the security fence of acceptable behavior. It’s the steel mesh of our past successes and failures” (p. 88). The desire for comfort can be the enemy of our Big Dream and ultimately our desire for comfort is rooted in selfishness. Sadly, many people end up making personal comfort their Dream. Proverbs 3:5-6 reads, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” To move beyond your comfort zone you need to trust God that his Big Dream for your life is worth the risk and that He will lead you to overcome your fears and make your path straight.
There will be GIANTS who stand against your dreams…Run towards your GIANTS! When you leave your comfort zone and begin to live God’s Big Dream for your life you will encounter GIANTS…it is inevitable. Moses confronted the Pharaoh, Joseph confronted his brothers, Daniel confronted the lions in the den, and Peter confronted the waves on the Sea of Galilee. What should you do when giants stand against you? Run towards them! That’s what David did when he confronted Goliath, the 8 ½ foot tall Philistine who put the scare on the entire army of Israel. I Samuel 17:48 reads, “When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.” Goliath came with a massive array of armor and weapons. David had one little sling and five smooth stones…and one other thing on his side…GOD!!! When giants come into your life to attack your dream run towards them in the power and strength of the Lord. Allow God to be strong on your behalf and to defeat the enemies standing before you.
God’s Big Dream for my life has been to serve as a pastor in a growing and dynamic Spirit filled New Testament Church. I have encountered many giants in over 25 years of ministry. Sometimes these giants have been people, sometimes finances, and sometimes demonic forces in the spiritual realm. But, I have seen God defeat giants over and over again when I run towards them in His strength and I have learned that God is eager to show Himself strong toward Dreamers who take risks to do what He wants done.
Lastly, God will be your Champion to help you fulfill His Big Dream for your life! To fulfill God’s Big Dream for your life you need a Dream Coach, a Champion who will stand by your side and encourage you onto the finish line day after day. Hopefully God will bring friends and family and colleagues into your life to spur you on to fulfill your dreams. But most importantly, God will be your champion. II Chronicles 16:9 reads, “For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” In all the battles of life and ministry that I have experienced I have seen over and over again that God is my Champion and that He is always there and that He never leaves my side. God wants to be your Champion! Trust Him! Believe in Him! Take Him by the hand and walk with Him each day as you begin to live out His Big Dream for your life.
When my wife and I were vacationing in Florida recently we visited the Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral. In 1961 on his inauguration speech, President Kennedy said, “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth." It was an audacious BHG (Big Harrie Goal) that captivated a nation and led to Apollo 11 landing on the moon with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on July 20, 1969. God has a Big Harrie Dream and Audacious Big Dream for your life. God for it! Live it! Your life will never be the same!