God-sized Dreams

Where Dreams Set Sail

Why We Don’t Have to Be Afraid of “Failure”

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Success means yielding to the ongoing process of Jesus transforming us in every area of our lives.

Our part is not control. It’s not results. It’s obedience.

It’s intimacy with the One who asks us to trust him even when nothing makes sense.

— You’re Made for a God-sized Dream, Chapter 7

We live in a world of numbers. We can measure everything in our lives from pounds on a scale to the amount of friends we have on Facebook. That makes it tempting to measure the success of our God-sized dream in a similar way too. It makes us feel safer to tell ourselves, “When I reach this specific goal, then I will be a success.”

Even if we don’t attach a number to it, we can still come up with other ways of being able to check the “success” box on our lives. Happy family. Flourishing career. Deep spiritual life. Yet God calls us to see success differently. He doesn’t measure or define it like we do. Rather than seeking a result, He invites us to see success as part of a relationship.

To say it simply: true success is being a good and faithful servant who brings happiness to our Master. “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness! (Matt. 25: 21) What does this look like in our daily lives?

First, the word “good” is about our character. It describes who we are. Thankfully, we don’t have to make ourselves “good.” Indeed, there’s no way we even can. We’re sinners who need a Savior. Yet when we receive what Jesus did for us, we do become “good.” And we bring our Master joy as we live out more and more of who we already are in Him. As Paul said, “Only let us live up to what we have already attained” (Phil. 3:16).

The word “faithful” describes our actions, what we do. In other words, being faithful means being trustworthy and obedient. God can count on us to say yes to what He asks of us and to follow through on it. Will we mess up? Absolutely. What counts is that when we do, we come running back to our Master and let Him help us.

In essence, success means yielding to the ongoing process of Jesus transforming us in every area of our lives. When we do so, we bring Him joy. It’s beautiful the way this verse describes it: “enter into the joy of your master” (Matt. 25:21 NASB). In other words, the joy of the Master in His servant is ongoing.

Success means yielding to the ongoing process of Jesus transforming us in every area of our lives.

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Many of us go through life believing that God barely tolerates us— that He’s just hanging on until we get to heaven when He can actually enjoy us. But that’s not true. You can (and do) bring God joy right now. What this also means is that if you are obedient, you cannot fail. Oh, it may look like it in the eyes of the world at times. It may seem as if your dreams go wrong. But if you are faithful to your Master, then you are a success no matter what.

We can simply get up each morning and pray, “God, I am Your servant. Do with me what You will. Use me as little or as much as You want.” In ways that can’t be measured, beyond what we can count or even imagine, He will answer that prayer. And when we are home with Him, we’ll celebrate together—forever.

Shared by: Holley Gerth

                                      

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Being Rebuilt As We Dare To Dream

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At the age of 8, I wrote my first song…and little did I know of the journey music would soon take me on. At age 11, I performed my song, “Lost In My Future”, for the first time ever in a school talent show, and it was after I came off of the stage that night, hands still shaking and face still red with a rush of nervous excitement, that I knew I was called to be a performing artist and songwriter.

Although the dream came early and the music came passionately, stage fright and the fear of being misunderstood still gripped me. During my first few years of pursuing music, I experienced bullying in school like I never had before. I sat alone at the lunch table, was uninvited to gatherings of my peers, and was set apart for being “different” and “weird” because I was “too” focused on my music career. Still, amid all of the pain, I found solace in my songwriting, my family, my growing faith, and a few close friends.

As the years passed by and I grew in age as well as artistry, playing more and more shows and meeting many unique people along the way, I began to realize that what I had found in music was truly a gift from God.

The moment I realized the impact and beauty that music, words, and sharing your heart could have was after playing a show at Due South Coffee Roasters in Taylors, South Carolina. One of the baristas came up to me and said that he had been listening to one of my songs, “Promised Myself”, and that it was the first time he’d ever truly felt like someone understood him. He didn’t feel so alone after listening to my song. This inspired me in such a deep way that I wanted to connect with and help more people. I started a school program called “Dare To Dream”, sharing my story of being bullied, pursuing my dream, and hoping to inspire other young people in middle school and high school to embrace their uniqueness. 

My faith drove this new venture.

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On New Year’s Day in 2016, as I was watching a sermon online from Elevation Church, I felt the intense desire to know God more take root in my heart.  I had been baptized two years previous and believed in God my whole life, but for the first time I decided to take up my own cross. Not only was a whole new heart being revealed in me, His love growing in my spirit, but I was being prepared to face one of my biggest battles yet.

As 2016 came to a close, 2017 opened up a difficult chapter for me. It started out with an exciting new album, a budding new relationship, and a string of trips planned to write and tour. These were all things that should have and could have brought joy to my life, yet I found myself growing anxious. I repeated that this was just a “busy season” to people when they asked how I was doing as I tried to remain calm in the midst of an increasing amount of stress. The behind the scenes toll of the day-to-day checklists that weren’t being completed, the pressure of perfectionism I put on myself, the lack of rest, the hours of traveling, the relationship that was suffering, the intrusive negative thoughts that seemed consuming, all added to my depleting strength. In July of 2017 I found myself at an all-time-low.

It was during this confusing, tense, and dark time that I clung to the hope I had found in Jesus.

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For months my cry out was a beg to God that my mind could return to the confident, strong, faith-filled, passionate woman I knew I used to be. My cry out was that I would just make it through the day without being consumed by sadness. My cry out was that He would fill me with his strength, and my declaration was that He did not give me a spirit of fear but a spirit of power and love and sound mind. At first these moments of anguish stripped my confidence and tainted my belief in myself and my talent, but I would gladly endure the trials again for the joy that was set before me in Jesus.

 To this day I am currently being rebuilt by God stronger and more resilient than before.

In the past few weeks alone, God has given me new freedom and a new vision for my future in my career and personal life. It is because of Him that I have been inspired again, have forgiven myself, and am able to love so much deeper.

I am a singer, writer, speaker, pianist, and believer…running after Jesus. My story will not be defined by bullies, setbacks, anxiety, stress, or depression. When I trip, as I will, Jesus is right there lifting me up and helping me continue running. So to whoever is reading this, wherever you are at on your dream journey, I encourage you…the darkness doesn’t even stand a chance as long as we are running after God with Jesus at our side.

Kylie Odetta is a 20 year old independent artist/writer.
You can find her at her website and on Instagram and YouTube.

When God Sees More Than We See

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Happy 2018!

Here we are just days into a new year. A new year filled with promise, with hope, with anticipation of new adventures with God in this journey called life. I love the clean slate a new year offers. There’s just something about fresh starts that rekindle dreams, hopes, and aspirations.

A new year is a perfect time to revisit our God-sized dreams.

Dreams that God has placed on our hearts. Desires that don’t seem to go away. Thoughts that encompass exciting what ifs?

But, wait. Am I equipped? Do I have what it takes? Will I have enough time? Am I too old (or young) or am I being too selfish? The questions come flooding in, don’t they? They sometimes stop us before we ever get started. And, before we know it, another year can slip by and our God-sized dreams stay tucked inside us.

Yes, it’s scary to allow that dream to rise to the surface. It’s often more comfortable to let them lie. When we brush them off and give them life we open up ourselves and our dreams to scrutiny, to reality, and sometimes to anxiety. It’s much safer to keep them tucked away, isn’t it?

But, the thing is, our God-sized dreams are unique to each one of us. No one else has the same one. So, either your God-sized dream is realized through you or it’s not realized at all. The same goes for me. If we choose to keep it buried, the blessings attached to the dream are never experienced either. Not by us individually nor by the rest of the world.

Our God-sized dreams are unique to each one of us.

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God sees more than we see.

Since God created and formed us, He placed within us specific talents and gifts which are also unique. He continues to grow us through them as we mature in Him through this life. There’s more within us that we can’t see. He sees it all perfectly, however, and when the time is right, He’s going to prompt us to do something with it. Something we’ve never done before.

He’s going to nudge us to step out in faith because He sees what we can’t.

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Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.
Hebrews 11:1 (NCV)

Allow me to give you an example. A few months ago a strong desire within me seemed to come out of nowhere. A desire to connect with and encourage women during the holiday season. That strong desire turned into something I couldn’t shake. I knew if I didn’t follow through with it, I would have regrets and would always wonder, what if?

God could see more than I could.

All I could see were my limitations, my inabilities, and my doubts. But, within a week God arranged the details for a women’s evening of encouragement at a local cafe, and on December 4th, that desire became a God-sized dream that blessed me and fifty other women. All because God could see more than I could. He could see “the more” He placed within me. And wouldn’t you know, there’s another evening of encouragement planned for this month as well!

We don’t have to worry about the results. We can trust them to God, the author of our dreams. All we need to do is be obedient when God says it’s time to brush off our dreams and give them life.

We don’t have to worry about the results. We can trust them to God.

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May this year be the year our God-sized dreams are realized. Not necessarily for our sake, but more for God’s and others’.

Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!
1 Peter 4:10-11 (MSG)

I’m cheering you on and praying for you today. Happy New Year!

Shared by: Julie Lefebure

This post is based off Holley Gerth’s book, You’re Made for a God-sized Dream.

Take Heart

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“Why is it so hard, Mom?”

His voice was weary, and though we were on the phone and separated by miles, I knew him well enough to see his expression—eyes cast down to the right, staring, disillusioned.

“I’ve prayed and believed this is the path God wants me to pursue with my life. So why is it so hard?”

My young adult son’s question was one every dream chaser eventually expresses: “If I’m doing what God wants me to, shouldn’t it be easier than this? Why isn’t He helping me?”

As followers of Christ, we know trials and hard seasons are a fact of life. Nevertheless, they take us by surprise. [clickToTweet tweet=”Our trials are consistent with our reality but so inconsistent with our expectations.” quote=”Our trials are consistent with our reality but so inconsistent with our expectations.”] And like a child who doesn’t understand, they make us cry Whyyyyyyy?

“Why, God? It isn’t fair! I did my best. I prayed. I trusted. I (fill in the blank with all your efforts), and this is what I get?!”

This is the hard reality of our trials and the confusion they cause. If we are truly God’s chosen, the ones He lovingly created and formed, then why is life so hard?

It’s true. We are chosen by Him. But often we forget what God’s choosing entails.

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tried and CHOSEN you in the furnace of affliction.
~Isaiah 48:10 (AMPC)

One Bible commentary says this:

God had chosen [the Israelite] nation to be his people when they were suffering in the furnace of affliction in Egypt; and it is also true that God chooses sinners now . . . as the result of heavy affliction. . . their affliction had prepared them . . . to seek consolation in him; . . . and to embrace [His} offers of mercy.

. . . the furnace of affliction – Refer[s] particularly to their trials [as exiles] in Babylon. Afflictions are often likened to fire – [because] fire is used to purify or try metals, and afflictions have the same object in reference to the people of God.

There are two clear purposes of the furnace of affliction:

  1. to prepare the hearts of sinners to receive God’s mercy
  2. to purify or try His chosen

Throughout the Bible, we see God use hard trials and testing to prove and strengthen the faith of His chosen both as the consequence of their sin and to purify and test their faith.

In this you greatly rejoice,
though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
that the genuineness of your faith,
being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire,
may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
whom having not seen you love.
Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
~1 Peter 1:6-9

Our trials should cause us to examine our hearts before God for sin and the possibility of His correction, but we also have to remember His higher purpose for our lives. It’s not our comfort! His purpose is to conform us to the image of Christ.

Are you in a difficult season and tempted to give up on your dream? Take heart, Dreamer! God is committed to accomplishing all of His good purposes for your life. Allow Him to work in and through you as He purifies your heart in His holy furnace of affliction.

And be certain of this . . . He is the author and perfecter of your faith, and you can trust Him to complete the good work He began in you.

 

Shared by: Kim Hyland

                             


Dreams of Old, Next Steps of New

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On Wednesdays we are thrilled to fling open the doors to all of YOU! We love hearing your stories…the lessons you’ve learned, the roads you’ve walked, the dreams He’s planted in your hearts! Today we are excited to welcome back our friend Julie Dibble to God-sized Dreams. She is sharing how God has transformed her dreams! Thanks for being here today, Julie!

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God can transform anything.

He parted seas, healed the blind and empowered one smallish lad to beat down a giant. Reshaping and Christ-like-molding are His specialties. Why wouldn’t He change my dreams?

In my Godless days, I was restless, searching for something to excite my deadpan soul. Upon return from a weekend trip or as the new job lost its luster, I crashed. Any elevation in my mood dwindled, like when a full balloon pops and wildly sails until it lands lifeless and flat.

In those days, being resourceful and creating solutions to my less-than fulfilling life sustained me. Never did I fear of making a change, whether large or small. The tenacity and perseverance were blessings from above, though I had no awareness of that. In vain, I pursued ways to increase my serotonin against the gray backdrop of my life.

People saw the Julie who dreamed of moving, improved careers, and new relationships.

Yes, I fulfilled those dreams on the outside while I crumbled on the inside.

Over the last four years with following Jesus, my dreams have minimized like the screen we save on the computer. His call on my life is specific: I am to write and speak for His glory. He commissioned me to share life stories that reveal His power. It is such a privilege to be part of His Kingdom work that I cannot imagine doing anything else.

You may think the latter sounds like BIG dreams being actualized by His Highest through me.

However, these were not my dreams to start, they were His commands to follow.

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I credit Jesus with preparing me for public speaking in my prior careers before I knew Him. And as a child I wanted to be an author, no doubt a seed He planted in my embryo’s heart.

Now is the time I answer His call.

If you love me, keep my commands.
John 14:15 (NIV)

Humbled, I follow Him. He orchestrated my attendance at two speaking and two writing conferences in the past three years. Publications, minor and major, have confirmed I am doing as He has asked. In the second half of this year, several speaking doors have opened. Through each door I will go, armed with prayer and my Lord’s sword of truth and light.

What’s next? I ask myself. My ministry is growing. It needs a name. That is one next step, one lighted block for me to do. Yet, I refuse to accomplish this alone. With a prayer team and meditating on Scripture, I will arrive at a decision with Him. (stay tuned for the ministry and website reveal!).

After my history of reaching prideful goals and fanciful dances away from stress, I believe Jesus has whittled away the ever-tempting dreaming compartments in my soul. Spiritual lessons to surrender have eradicated the old meandering and avoidant behavior.

Take heart, friends, I still have dreams. Dreams to draw closer to Him.

With a willing soul, I thirst for His wisdom…His touch…the intimacy of abiding with Him.

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God is everywhere, so experiencing Him can be anywhere. My neighborhood walks, phone conversations with a friend, a couch-snuggle with my husband, cupping my son’s freckled cheeks, checking on my planted pumpkins. The list goes on and on just like His love for us.

As I lean in, I look forward to experiencing more of God as I step out I faith. I am still surprised when I consider His work thus far in me…from the girl who couldn’t sit still in her miserable life to the obedient woman of God who chases only Jesus.

Embrace His amazing power in your any-size dreams. The possibilities are endless.

Julie Dibble, MA is a Christian Speaker and Author who is passionate about sharing Jesus’ love and truth. Immersing herself in her fourteenth year of marriage and mothering two boys, Julie drinks only strong coffee. Each day, she collects words to speak and write for His glory. She has two published articles in Purpose Magazine and is working on her first book.  Connect with Julie’s writing at her blog and follow her speaking on social media at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Seeing the Possibilities?

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I live in Southwest Minnesota. Beautiful farm country. A few hours north of us you will find an abundance of trees, but here in our area you will find mostly flat ground, corn and soybean fields.

Earlier this spring I was driving out of town and looking across these vast fields on either side of me. I knew that many of the fields had recently been planted, but on that morning no growth could be seen.

To those unfamiliar with farming, their eyes may focus on the barren field. But for some reason that morning I focused on the possibilities I saw. The growth that I knew would come after a few good rainy days and some warmer temperatures.

It wasn’t until more recently that I even had an understanding of all the things that a farmer has to deal with.

When the ground is frozen over the winter and then thaws, rocks deep in the soil push up to the surface of the fields. One of the first things the farmers have to do before they plant their crops is to pick rocks so that those rocks don’t damage their equipment.

The seeds have to be planted at the right time for them to germinate. If the seeds are planted when the ground temperature is too cold they won’t germinate properly and the seeds won’t grow. If they’re planted when it is too wet, the seeds will rot and they won’t grow. If the farmer plants when the conditions aren’t right they may find themselves having to replant so that they will have a harvest in the fall.

There are many factors that the farmers have to consider so that they have the greatest possibility of a successful harvest.

And yet, there are unexpected things that have the potential to ruin a good crop. Just last week a storm brewed a few miles from our community and brought large hail with it. 40 area farmers saw significant damage to their crops, forcing them to determine if there was enough damage or time to warrant a replant.

I have often thought that the farmer must be a bit of a dreamer. They have a resilience that you don’t often see. They have discovered how to weather a storm. They push forward even through difficult times and they see the possibilities with each new growing season.

I was struck with how farming can mirror our own dreaming journey.

In my life, I can see that the seed has been planted but the growth isn’t necessarily seen yet.

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Can I still see the possibilities?

In our own journey, we too may have obstacles in our way. Maybe it’s a sin in our life that is keeping us from our full potential. Maybe it is a doubt or a fear that causes us to remain stuck. We must ask ourselves how we will handle these bumps in the road, or will they be our excuse to just give up?

We may be hit with unexpected blows. This world can be a dark place and I have seen many a dreamer struck with circumstances that knock them down. Will we take these times to reevaluate, to prayerfully ask God if we need to press on or let go?

There may be times when we look across the field of our life and just see the barren ground. We need to remember that there are seeds planted under the surface waiting to grow. And in God’s perfect timing, and His season, one day we’ll be able to look over our lives and we’ll see the fruitful harvest that has grown.

I don’t know where you are in your dreaming season sisters, but can I just encourage you to remain strong?! Trust God with each step, prayerfully ask for direction and guidance and walk forward in faith. Ask any farmer and they will tell you that there are seasons with abundant harvest and times when the crop comes up short. But they know that with each year comes new possibilities and they walk faithfully forward with anticipation of what each new season will bring. I want to be like that in my own life as well, don’t you?!

Photo Credit: Alternative Heat

Shared by: Kristin Smith

 

It Takes Two To Realize Your Dreams

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I used to be the queen of dreaming.

Seriously. If there was ever a person who could dream the biggest dreams and believe with all her heart they were hers, that person could very well have been me. Not only could I dream the most grandiose dreams, I could also get lost in them. So much so, that I would nearly live in the dream in my mind without ever achieving it. Crazy, huh?

There’s something about realizing a dream, however. One can’t just dream it for it to happen. Effort must follow the dream for it to come to pass.

I also used to be the queen of independence.

It’s good to be independent, isn’t it? Sure, but not when it’s taken too far. Not when you’re the girl who thinks she can do everything on her own. After all, my dreams were my dreams. And I didn’t need any help achieving them, thank you very much.

There’s another truth about realizing a dream: God is the One Who helps us realize our God-sized dreams.

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It takes two to realize your dreams.

You and God.

It takes two as you put the effort into realizing the dream while God teaches, equips, blesses, and assists you in making it happen.

We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it. Proverbs 16:9 MSG

It takes two as you and God partner together. You and God make a great team!

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Together, you and God can make it happen.

What dream causes butterflies in your stomach and makes your heart flutter a little faster? Which one inspires you to step out of your comfort zone, yet appears out of your grasp? What about that one that provokes wondrous thoughts of, “Could I really?” and “What if I did?”

My God-sized dream looks like a mountain in front of me. Some days I question if I’ll ever see it realized in my lifetime. I can get overwhelmed and second-guess my desire in the day-to-day progress (or lack of).

But, what keeps me going is what I know of God. God is faithful. He can be trusted. He’s not going to lead me astray. I know He’s good at being God and I believe He’s got everything under His control.

So, I will keep trusting. I will keep believing He can see what I can’t. I will do my part and allow Him to do His. And, I will continue putting one foot in front of the other, following His lead in the realization of this dream… this dream I believe He’s placed in my heart.

I invite you to join me.

Let’s invite God and partner with Him as we walk this out together.

Father God, You are faithful. You are sovereign. Nothing is beyond your ability, and Your power is limitless. Thank you for being the God who gives us dreams–God-sized dreams–and for being the One Who helps us realize them. Father, this dream looks big and beyond my grasp. But, you already know it’s in my heart and on my mind, and I cannot shake it. I hold this dream out to you, Lord, and I leave it in your hands. If it’s to be realized, I ask you to guide me in it, to equip me, to teach me, and to assist me in every way. Help me to trust You and step out in faith. For your glory, not for mine. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I can’t wait to see what you and God do together!

Shared by: Julie Lefebure

                                                                 

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Know God Deeply Enough to Dream

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“Deep enough to dream in brilliant colors I have never seen.
Deep enough to join a billion people for a wedding feast.
Deep enough to reach out and touch the face of the one who made me.
And oh the love I feel and oh the peace, do I ever have to wake up?”
– Chris Rice in “Deep Enough to Dream”

I don’t like naps, but sometimes I feel like I’m missing out on the escaping real life with some daytime dreams. And even if I weren’t actually sleeping, my mind tends to focus on what’s happening or planning what’s to come next, letting the potential daydreams escape me.

Sitting in the pickup line at school a couple months ago, I heard this older Chris Rice song. It’s one of those that I haven’t heard in years, but I managed to sing along with like I heard it yesterday.

The words struck me, and I was thankful for the moment to remember what trusting in the Dream Giver Himself is about.

I said no to a friend this spring even though I believed her invitation was important. It came on the heels of busyness that comes with the end-of-school calendar, multiple commitments that required me to be away from my family for short periods of time, our own birthday season where three of the five of us celebrate turning a year older, and general life with three kids.

I knew “no” was right, but it was still hard.

Saying no is hard. (And, yes, sometimes saying yes is difficult, depending on the circumstances and your personality.) Slowing down and not glorifying busy is a challenge in today’s fast-moving world. Focusing on small, faithful steps is necessary in God’s Kingdom but nearly impossible in our culture.

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Of course, real life requires action and not just fluffy day dreams. But there’s something to be said about imagining what’s to come, all the brilliant colors that God can lay out before us.

Here are three ways I do that, and hopefully they’ll help you realize your dreams too:

1. Take a break. I already admitted I don’t nap. But I do like a good fiction book that serves as a mental vacation right there in the midst of the chores and regular commitments.

2. Remember small steps matter. Faithfulness isn’t usually bright, shiny lights from a big platform.

3. Please God, not people. Yes, love people, but what you do matters in the eyes of God, not man.

I know I can slow down and enjoy the process more. I don’t want to miss the brilliant colors. I want to make to link arms with other believers here because we are invited to the banquet Jesus is preparing for us. I want to see the face of Jesus in people here and anticipate seeing God’s glory in all its fullness one day in heaven.

We need to be in deep relationship with God that lets us dream. And that’s the kind the dream we don’t need to wake up from.

Shared by: Kristin Hill Taylor

                          

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Six Ways to Tell if Your God-Sized Dream is Counterfeit

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“Everything God does, Satan attempts to counterfeit.”

I can still remember when a friend spoke those words to me.  So many things began to make sense with that one simple statement.  She went on to explain how the enemy does all he can to keep us running to these counterfeit things…rather than to Jesus. For peace. For comfort. For joy. I had not heard it in such plain terms before.

Talk about a light bulb moment.

It was then, I started noticing a funny pattern with opportunities that came my way.  It would usually happen at a time I was feeling low, convinced nothing could ever come of a crazy dream that felt three sizes too big.  I would find myself wondering if God had forgotten the dream He had for me.  Or maybe I’d just heard wrong.

In that exhausted, slightly desperate place, along would come a break.  Yet, almost from the moment I’d hear it, something wouldn’t sound quite right.  Deep within, I’d know this wasn’t the opening for me.  Yet, try as I may, I couldn’t find a real reason to talk myself out of it.  Nothing that is, except for that niggling pull guiding me towards another route.  More often then not, I’d end up saying yes, but knowing deep down something was just off.

I’ve now seen how this pattern played out over and over in my life.  As long as the enemy could keep me wrapped up in something I wasn’t meant to be doing, I wasn’t make strides towards what God wanted me doing.  And the things that would come along, were great opportunities, they just weren’t meant for me.  Often, I’d untangle myself from one thing, only to find myself all wrapped up again soon after.

Sigh.

While the details of your situation likely look a little different, it’s probably safe to say the enemy would rather have us all spinning our wheels on a Satan-sized counterfeit than on our true God-sized dream. 

[clickToTweet tweet=”The enemy would rather have us all spinning our wheels on a Satan-sized counterfeit than on our true God-sized dream.” quote=”The enemy would rather have us all spinning our wheels on a Satan-sized counterfeit than on our true God-sized dream.”]

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A counterfeit, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is “made to look like an exact copy…in order to trick people.”

[clickToTweet tweet=”How can we tell the difference between a God-sized dream and a counterfeit?” quote=”How can we tell the difference between a God-sized dream and a counterfeit?”]  The difference between a knockoff the enemy is using to trick us and the true dream that God is calling us to?  Here are a few ways to detect a counterfeit God-sized dream:

1.)  It should be for the building up of God’s people.  Our God given gifts are for building each other up, and our God-sized dreams should do the same.  And remember, our God-sized dreams should be life giving to everyone, including ourselves!  If it feels like it’s sucking the life right out of us, that might not be where God wants us!  “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV)

2.)  It should always honor God’s Word.  Plain and simple.  He doesn’t contradict Himself.  If we have to go against God’s Word, it’s simply can’t be from Him. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” 2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT)

3.)  Every aspect should be on the up and up.  I know, I know, this should go without saying but you might be surprised how convincing Satan can be, even speaking blatant lies to believers.  After all, the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy, and Jesus comes so we may have life to the full!  

4.)  It should always lead others into God’s light. If it leads people away, in any way, we should reconsider what it is we’re doing.  “For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night.” 1 Thessalonians 5:5 (NLT)

5.)  God should be the main motivator.  Money/recognition/fill in the blank might seem great, but God-sized dreams take a lot of work/time/gray hair/freak-outs.  Our families might have to get used to cereal for dinner and remind us laundry needs to be done again because, well, clean underwear would be nice.  This will all get old fast, if our motivation is anything but Him. {To which I will also add, everything will get old in double time, if something called “perimenopause” has come to visit your abode. Ahem.}  “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

6.)  There should be no hold backs.  And I don’t mean the natural hold back we have because of fear.  Even Moses doubted, right?  He tried to tell God he couldn’t speak when God called him.  (Exodus 4:10)  I’m talking about the general feeling that something is off.  Pay attention and take that to God in prayer.

The good news?  I’ve noticed right behind a counterfeit dream, more often than not, along comes the real thing.

The even better news?  No matter where you are on the path, God has you, friend!  Nothing can mess with His plan for you!  He can work all things together for good.  He can use for good what the enemy meant for harm.  God can even repay for the years the locusts have eaten!  Phew!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to do laundry and plan my next post: God-sized Dreaming While Hormonal.  Good times!

(And here is a wonderful song for dreamers by Jeremy Camp, which the quote in the above photo is from. It’s definitely worth a listen…but might just get stuck in your head! 🙂

Shared by: Christine Wright

The God Of Many Dreams

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I remember longing to become a mom. And then God built our family through adoption, demonstrating His faithfulness to hear the desires of my heart, even if the whole story looked completely different than unexpected.

Now I’m a mom to three kids who are 10, 7 and 1, and God took that dream and expanded it after He made it possible.

God is a God of many dreams, and I’ve seen Him build them upon what He’s already done.

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My husband and I have had our eyes opened to needs right here in our community. That started with a couple local birth moms who chose us as parents and showed us how others in our small town live.

Then we started serving with our kids and other families. As we did, we met more people, networked with more groups, and started a small group dedicated to community service and living out our faith.

After making me a mom, God prompted me to encourage and support other adoptive and foster families. Then He used that to inspire me to volunteer at our local crisis pregnancy center. Without having journeyed with God to my dream of becoming a mom, I wouldn’t have been in a place to see the other needs around me.

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 1:6

Yes, God fulfilled one dream that I had, but He also used it to spur on other dreams that are connected to the heart of the first.

That’s how God works. He doesn’t finish with us and our dreams until we are with Him in heaven. Until then, all the dreams are part of the big-picture plan He has for us and He promises to finish what he started.

Of course, even rejoicing in the good gifts and celebrating dreams fulfilled doesn’t come easy. Getting to the finish line while chasing whatever dreams God has given you can be exhausting, but keep going because glory – His glory! – is coming.

“Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.” – 1 Peter 4:12-13 (The Message)

Sharing in His glory forever is well worth the obstacles and detours of any dreams. Knowing God is the giver of the dreams is what sustains us along the journey, when we can’t even see the destination.

Trust God to fulfill the dream He gave you and stick with Him long enough to see what else He’ll do. Perhaps you’ll get a glimpse of that glory around the corner.

Shared by: Kristin Hill Taylor