God-sized Dreams

Where Dreams Set Sail

Thought vs. Truth

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Have you ever noticed how quickly comparing yourself to someone else can ruin almost anything? A good mood, a great idea, a new opportunity, an exciting adventure, a well-earned accomplishment, or even a God-sized dream.

As soon as we start looking around at what others have done, we start criticizing what we’re doing. Certainly, looking at someone else’s success can be inspiring and motivating to reach for the stars, but that’s not what I’m talking about here.

I’m talking about the comparisons that make us think we can’t do something and shouldn’t even try; when we look at someone else’s accomplishments and pick apart our own.

When we believe the enemy’s lies.

In her book, You’re Made for a God-sized Dream, author Holley Gerth lists five lies that keep us from dreaming.

Lie #1: “Dreaming is Selfish”

Lie #2: “I Don’t Have What It Takes”

Lie #3: “It’s Too Late”

Lie #4: “I Don’t Deserve to Dream”

Lie #5: “I Don’t Have Time”

Which ones get in your way? For me, the second and third are the ones I have to work the most on. I can too easily give up because someone else is doing what I dream of doing…as if one person’s success takes away the possibility that I can succeed.

[clickToTweet tweet=”To fight the lies, I have to determine what is thought and what is truth. @LauraJRath” quote=”To fight the lies, I have to determine what is thought and what is truth.”]

Thought: This woman is a wonderful speaker on a national stage. I can’t measure up to that. Why am I even trying to speak at a women’s event at my local church?

Truth: I don’t have to measure up to someone else; I just have to follow where God leads.

God calls each of us in different ways. Two speakers may have a similar message, but each will deliver the message in her own way, with her own story, and reach different audiences. That’s how God works. Our dreams and skills may look alike, but He knows each will be carried out differently because He did not create us to be exactly the same.

[clickToTweet tweet=”The dream He gives you is unique to you because the journey of getting there will be your own. @LauraJRath” quote=”The dream He gives you is unique to you because the journey of getting there will be your own.”]

Thought: I don’t have what it takes. I’m not good enough.

Truth: Very few people are able to do something perfectly when they first start. We need time and practice to hone a craft, and even then there will still be room for improvement.

God-sized dreams are made for you and God to work on together. You may not be confident in your skills or in what God is calling you to do, but you can be confident that He knows what He’s doing. If He’s calling you, He will prepare you. In His time and His way.

Thought: It’s too late. My age, background, history, ________ (fill in the blank) are too much to overcome. I waited too long; I missed the boat.

Truth: We put time limits on ourselves that don’t come from God. Yes, the perfect opportunity (in your eyes) may have passed, but that doesn’t mean He hasn’t planned a new opportunity.

Life doesn’t go as smoothly as we would like, and things like family commitments, financial difficulties, illness, bad choices, and _________ (again, fill in the blank here) pull us away from our goals. Life has changed and your days and future don’t look like you wanted them to, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late.

If God is calling you to something, and you’re willing, then He’ll get you there. It may take longer and it may be more difficult than you’d hoped. He may bypass the straight road and lead you the long way around, but that time is when He’s preparing you.

Whatever you’ve struggled with is not too much for God, and it does not discount you from dreaming God-sized dreams. In fact, our times of struggle are when we often feel closest to God. It’s when we realize how much we need Him and that He doesn’t turn away from us.

What lies are holding you back?

Try to identify what’s thought and what’s truth—what the enemy wants you to believe and what God promises you. And remember that no matter how a situation looks, nothing is impossible for God. Nothing.

Shared by: Laura Rath

[Photo credit: Unsplash.com]

                    

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Letting Go of a Dream

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I’ve always struggled with the book of Job. For years, I couldn’t get past the beginning where God gives Satan permission to test Job. I didn’t like that part, so that’s where I stopped reading. But, over the years, it seems God has led me to the book of Job on several occasions.

While I was thinking about God-given dreams recently, I read this verse:

So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning.
Job 42:12a NLT

I know I’ve read it before because I remember thinking, Yeah, but he lost so much before that! I got stuck in what happened to Job and couldn’t move forward. Much like we do in real life.

How often do we get stuck in the past, unable to move forward in the present?

How often do we get stuck in the past, unable to move forward in the present?

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It’s easy to do that with dreams that don’t materialize. Maybe it’s because real-life responsibilities and obligations keep us from pursuing our dreams. Or perhaps we’ve worked and worked, but still haven’t seen the dream come true. After a while, we decide it’s just not meant to be.

There’s a difference between giving up and letting it go. Giving up comes from disappointment and discouragement. It closes the door on the dream and can lead to resentment.

The decision to let go of a dream can also come from disappointment and discouragement, but it leaves the door open for God to work in ways we don’t expect and can’t imagine.

We may grieve the loss of a dream, and that’s an appropriate emotion. It’s also an important part of the healing process that allows us to move forward.

Job had plenty of reasons to grieve—he lost so much, but he never turned away from God. In fact, he reaffirmed his faith in Him.

Then Job replied to the Lord: “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.
Job 42:1-2 NLT

We don’t know how long Job’s healing process was, but we know he walked through it and was blessed by God—probably more than Job ever imagined was possible.

I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
Job 42:5 NLT

If you’ve had to let go of your dreams, for whatever reason, don’t count God out. Leave the door open for God to work in ways you don’t expect and can’t imagine. Even when we don’t know what we’re watching for, we can trust He’s there, and His work is worth waiting for.

We don’t know what to watch for, but trust God’s there & His work is worth waiting for.

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Shared by: Laura Rath

 

                                       

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Don’t Let Fear and Self-doubt Kill Your Dreams

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I recently spoke at a women’s event, presenting a 45-minute Bible study I wrote myself. It wasn’t my first time speaking to a group of women, but you might not believe that if you saw my hands tremble and heard the nerves in my voice. Every time I speak, I forget to breathe for the first few minutes. Then, I get into a groove and I’m able to relax. Somewhat.

For years, after I began writing to encourage women in their faith journeys, I wondered if God might ever lead me to speak. I’m not sure why I felt like this was something I wanted to do because holding a microphone made me panic. (And that’s before I even tried to speak into it.)

But God has a unique way of putting a dream in your heart that terrifies you. Those dreams are not meant be accomplished alone. God designs them so that you can work on them together—with Him.

God designs dreams to work on together—with Him.

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Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

How often do we forget that wherever He leads us, He will continue to walk with us every step of the way?

The first time I was asked to speak, I almost said no for two reasons—fear and self-doubt. Then I remembered that I’d been asking God about an opportunity only days before. Now, He was opening the door to what I’d asked for…and I was going to decline?!?

Fear and self-doubt are dream killers. They say everything is about us, and they keep us from what God has planned.

When God has planted and nurtured the seed of a dream, He does it knowing that with Him, we can take that step forward. Sight unseen. Outcome unknown.

Like a child learning to walk, God coaxes us along. You’re okay. I’m right here. Keep going. Wait, don’t run ahead too far! He encourages us to step out of our comfort zone, but also reminds us to stay with Him.

God encourages us to step out of our comfort zone, but also reminds us to stay with Him.

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That first time I spoke, I kept reminding myself that if God didn’t think I could do it, He wouldn’t have showed me the opportunity. He wouldn’t have nudged the person who invited me to speak to even think of asking me.

With the encouragement of God and a friend who believed in me, I took that step. It was far from perfect, but I survived. I didn’t die of embarrassment, didn’t trip on cords or fall off the stage, and I didn’t pass out because I forgot to breathe. That first time gave me a taste of the dream God had shown me and I loved it.

If I had given in to my fear and self-doubt, I would have missed out on that first experience and the opportunities that followed. God knew what I could do with Him, but sometimes, I have to discover it for myself.

Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.” Matthew 21:21 (NLT)

Shared by: Laura Rath

                              

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New Beginnings

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There’s something about a new year that makes us think about new beginnings. A fresh start. A do-over from the previous year.

This year, things will be different.

The problem is, a new year-new beginning only comes once a year. When the expectations on January 1 fall short by January 31, there are 11 more months until the next new year. According to the calendar.

Fortunately for us, God is not concerned with what our calendars say. He offers new beginnings all year long. In fact, He’s working on something for you right now.

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. Isaiah 43:19 NLT

Perhaps you can already see it, or have a feeling of something on the horizon. But maybe, it seems like nothing will change. That’s when we have to disregard what we feel and rely on what we know.

God has wonderful plans for you—plans for your good, not for disaster—plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

God works in His own time. While that can be frustrating, and we grow weary in the waiting, God’s time is far better than our own. We can try to work out plans the way we think best, but there’s just no way we can see everything or tend to all of the details. We just can’t. But God can!

I know how tiring it can be to wait on God’s time and plans, but let me encourage you—don’t give up! It’s while we wait that He’s not only working for us, but working in us. And that may be the change we’ve been hoping for, even when we don’t know it.

While we wait on God, He is working for us and in us.

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While you’re waiting for a new beginning—whether that’s a God-sized dream, a change in a situation or relationship, or something you can’t yet identify, resist growing weary and discouraged. God hasn’t left you. He knows how hard it is for His children to wait—and He gives us what we need to keep going.

Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland so my chosen people can be refreshed. Isaiah 43:20b NLT

While we wait, God supplies what we need through Jesus, and in His Word, so that we can be refreshed and renewed.

Waiting on God isn’t meant to push us away from Him—it’s to bring us closer to Him. Because the closer we are to God, the better we can feel His love for us and see His mighty plans for us.

Don’t worry if your new beginning doesn’t come before turning the calendar page to February. God’s time doesn’t go by man-made deadlines. And for that, we can truly be thankful.

God’s time doesn’t go by man-made deadlines.

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Shared by: Laura Rath 

                                                                                                         

The #DreamTogether Linkup will return next week! Happy New Year, friends!

After The Dream And The #DreamTogether Linkup

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You’ve been dreaming. You’ve been praying. You’ve been planning and following God’s lead. And finally, after the wait and the work, you experience your God-sized dream.

Now what?

It’s not a let-down, per se. It’s just that the dream has been your focus for quite a while, and now that you’ve been fortunate enough to experience it, there’s a bit of a void. Maybe you even feel a little lost and not sure what to do next. I get it—I know the feeling.

When we’ve worked toward one focus for a period of time, that’s what we’ve grown used to. It’s the goal we’ve been looking forward to—the God-sized dream that God may or may not bring to pass. When we don’t experience it, it’s still out there in the “maybe someday” category. When we do experience it, we relish in the awesome experience. And then…the question…what’s next?

What comes after the God-sized dream?

This is where I’d love to tell you I have the answer, but I don’t. In fact, I’m right there with you in wondering what’s next? But what I can share are three thoughts I’m keeping in front of me.

Remember where you were and where God took you.

Think back to when you first started to envision your God-sized dream. How did God plant that dream in your heart? How long was it before He fulfilled that dream?

Often during the time of waiting for something, it’s hard to imagine it ever happening. What a blessing it is to be able to look back and see how your dream formed, grew, and finally transpired….and to know it can all happen again, maybe with a dream continued or possibly something completely new you don’t even know about yet.

Ask God what’s next.

Thank Him for the dream realized and ask Him what’s next in His plans for you. In my experience, it’s usually not an immediate or direct answer. Wouldn’t that be nice? But as we ask, we listen expectantly. God does not bring us to a place and then leave us there alone.

God does not bring us to a place and then leave us there alone.

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Continue to lean in to Him and let Him be the guide. In the meantime, do the next thing in front of you. It might be the next logical thing, such as planning dinner or taking care of your family. Or it could stem from your dream realized, like working to grow the new business or working on the next writing project.

Wait patiently.

God-sized dreams are not one per customer. Just as He led you before, He will lead you again.

If God seems to be quiet for a time, consider that He may be giving you time to rest. Keep leaning in to Him. Listen expectantly. And wait patiently. In His time, you will hear from Him. You may feel a new dream forming or see clearly the next step you need to take.

God-sized dreams are not one per customer. Just as He led you before, He will lead you again.

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And when you can, keep company with fellow God-sized dreamers, either in-person or online. Dreamers understand each other. We know what it’s like to have a dream that you can’t quite identify or explain, or a dream that feels way too big for one person. That’s precisely why it’s a God-sized dream.

Shared by: Laura Rath

[Photo credit: Unsplash.com]

                                                         

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I joined @GodsizeDreams for their #DreamTogether linkup! Join me!

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God-sized Dreamers Are Stronger Together

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Two months ago, I was invited to join the team of writers here at God-sized Dreams. I was thrilled! And surprised…because only a week before, I’d been wondering about the writing team and how often new writers are added. God at work, right?

After a few days of praying and thinking about it, I gladly accepted. And then…I panicked. Self-doubt kicked in (complete with dizziness and nausea), and I felt like a fraud. How could I write about dreams when sometimes I’m not even sure what mine are anymore?!?

That’s the beautiful thing about God-sized dreams…

When I’m too weary to dream, God is still at work on His dreams for me.

I know from experience that I have seasons when God is telling me to rest. I’ve learned that it’s best to yield during these seasons because there is a purpose. It’s a time for growth and renewal in ways I might not have realized I needed. But He knows.

And then, when it’s time, He opens doors to new opportunities, and dreams I thought had disappeared begin to take shape again.

When we let go of a dream, we allow God to bring it to life in a new way—His way.

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God-sized dreams require God’s work. They keep us dependent on Him, and that’s a good place to be.

But the enemy does not like God-sized dreams. He will shout lies at us, coaxing us to give up. What dreams do you have?!? No one will believe you! You’re a fraud! God doesn’t care about your ridiculous dreams!

He uses doubt, insecurity, and fear—whatever it takes to destroy our dreams and move us away from God. I wonder how often we give up on a dream thanks to the enemy’s work.

Don’t believe the lies. God does care! He cares about our dreams because He planted the seed for those dreams. Even when we’re not quite sure what they are, He stirs in us the feeling that there’s something more. Something we didn’t even know to dream about.

When we wait on God, we get to see Him make a way where there was no obvious way. When we let Him lead, He works things out and puts us in a place we couldn’t put ourselves.

Not only do we get to watch Him at work now, but knowing how He worked in the past, reminds us that He will continue to work in the future. That reminder keeps me going, especially when all I can see are the walls of current circumstances surrounding me.

As soon as I realized the source of my panic in writing for God-sized Dreams, I knew the topic for my first post—because I can’t be the only one.

If you find yourself unsure of what your dreams are, or feeling like your dreams have died long ago…please don’t allow yourself to get stuck there. Remember…

God is at work even when we’re unaware.

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If you are battling self-doubt and fear over dreams and new opportunities, don’t let it stop you. Keep moving forward as you feel God leading you.

As God-sized dreamers, we are stronger together. We are here to support and encourage each other…and that includes you!

Shared by: Laura Rath