Our nation, America, was built on a dream. A bunch of guys got together because they had a dream, a dream greater than themselves. It was God-given, and from that moment forward they didn’t have a chance. What I mean is, once God put it in their hearts, they were strongly compelled to bring it to fruition. They were determined, and they were driven.
I wasn’t there in 1776, but I’m certain of a few things. One, I think their vision didn’t come together overnight. History will tell you that. Also I think they hit some bumps along the road (to put it mildly), and I think they probably had some negative people surrounding them saying, “This can’t be done!”
They didn’t let the extreme difficulty nor the naysayers dampen their spirit or hamper their drive to succeed in the dream God had placed in their hearts for freedom and a Nation founded under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Can I get an amen?
I think there are some false assumptions among most people in our present times. I think a large majority of folks don’t believe in God-given dreams anymore. God gives them a vision, but fear and lack of self-confidence may tell them it’s impossible. And naturally Satan will jump on this and sow seeds of doubt in the soil of fear. Just being honest.
I might even go so far as to say that the devil uses God’s own people to discourage one another. Someone with a vision may be called a hopeless dreamer. People who love you may unknowingly dash your dreams, even going so far as to stomp upon them when they fall to the ground.
Sometimes people may tell you to be satisfied with your place in this life, to be grateful for the blessings you have, as if daring to dream for something greater is an affront to God.
I’m not talking about being content with your life or blooming where God plants you. Not at all. I’m completely in favor of being grateful for your present gifts, for God can only give you more when you are satisfied with what you have. So I’m all for happiness with your lot in life, and I’m against a constant discontentment with what you have or focusing on what you lack.
What I am talking about is being open to dreams God places in your heart, a vision for somewhere else he may be leading you. I think honoring that vision is simple acceptance of God’s will and His best for you.
And I’m here to tell you, while the dream He delivers fills you with a beaming hope, it’s surely the beginning of a very difficult road. I want you to realize that. Having a dream doesn’t equal finding a pot of gold. It is simply the beginning of a fantastic voyage that God wants to take you on.
There might even come a time on your quest when you reach a stale place, a moment of standstill where all hope of your dream becoming a reality seems lost. It will seem that your dream has died. And it will cut you to the bone.
In this moment of testing and trying please hold to the only constant that exists. Your Savior. Seek His face and surrender your dream. Your dream might just change it’s face a bit, or if it is not what your future holds, I believe He will take it from you and replace it with something else.
But it’s highly likely that He will resurrect your dream, bringing back to life the thing that you thought was forever dead.
What if our founding fathers would have given up on their dreams for our nation when things didn’t happen quickly enough, easily enough, or with a fan club of supporters in tow? We likely would not find ourselves celebrating Independence Day as we currently do.
God gives His people a dream, but how we pursue it is up to us. Will we hold unswervingly to the promise He spoke to our hearts? Will we become discouraged and disheartened when our idea isn’t popular or opposition comes our way? What would this place we call America look like if not for the dreamers among us?
So if you have a dream in your heart, hold it tightly. Seek His Will and He will certainly straighten your paths. If you know a dreamer, offer them a word of encouragement. God just might use your kind words to help change the world and bring a dream to reality.
ruthiespage says
Don’t stop dreaming!!!! Love u
brieann.rn@gmail.com says
Thank you. Love you too.