Three tips to pursue your God-sized dreams

Do you believe you have what it takes to pursue your dreams? Your answer will probably range from a faltering ‘yes’, a full on ‘no’ or a safe ‘maybe’.

If you’re anything like me then you are usually tilting between a yes and a maybe. We want to believe we can do it but we are not really sure of how or why we would.

You’ve probably seen inspirational plaques with the words; ‘Dream Big’. I actually have one which says ‘think big, dream bigger’. I love this plaque as it always seems to give me an extra boost when I read it.

But what happens after the initial spurt of positivity and ‘can do’ spirit? Are we then faced with a reality that is bereft of the expected achievement? Probably.

More so, what if this is not just any dream but a God-sized dream? You may be wondering what I mean by a God-sized dream.

First of all, I believe our God-sized dreams are usually a present but imperceptible part of us.

Many times, it’s a dream that we hope to achieve but know we can only do with God’s help.

There are also times when it’s a specific path(purpose) God has placed in our hearts.

This has certainly been the case for me and I recently had to consider why we fail to achieve these sort of goals. I came up with a few reasons from my life and the life of a few people I know and have read about.

 

Roadblocks to pursuing our God-sized dreams

Here are a few reasons that have hindered the pursuit of your dreams:

1. Fear – as you may have guessed, fear is usually the biggest reason. This is not just your plain old fear but fear in all its ramifications. A fear of failure, a fear of success and a fear of the unknown. We become so paralyzed by this fear that we fail to do anything.
2. Doubt – I have often heard that doubt is the opposite of faith. Do you agree? I believe that doubt is another stumbling block that stops us from pursuing our God-sized dreams. But here’s the thing about doubt, it’s a pretty common trait and it’s something most of us I’ve experienced at one time or the other. According to Blaise Pascal “To deny, to believe and to doubt absolutely- this is for man what running is for a horse.”
3. Procrastination – why do it later when you can do it now?’ (said no one, except the super productive guys that make us look bad). Procrastination is big and it’s real. I can’t even count the number of goals and dreams I missed out on simply because I pushed it to the illusive some day.
4. Perfection – This is also tied to analysis paralysis where we spend so much time in the setup stage and we barely ever move from this point.
5. Confusion/too much advice – There are times we are just plain confused and don’t know which way to go. This could be because we have received bad advice or too many conflicting advice(keep reading to learn how to seek wise counsel).

There are probably a few more reasons out there that have stopped us from achieving all the things we’ve always wanted to do.

Well, I believe it will also be helpful to consider the ways we can pursue our God-sized dreams.

 

Three tips to pursue your God-sized dreams

Here are three tips for realizing those dream inside of you:

1. Acknowledge your God-sized dreams

Yes, the first step is to accept and acknowledge that dream (rather than ignore it as we are wont to do), no matter how big and impossible it may seem. If God put it there then he has already provided all that you will ever need to achieve it.

But here is another thing, many times, we will not get the full picture of all we are to do or how we will get there. We will usually get little snippets which don’t really help when you’re trying to decide if you should even consider this dream at all.

 

2. Seek wise counsel

This is an integral part of realizing our dreams. It is a process and usually starts and ends with prayer. Here are the typical stages of this second tip:

1. Pray

   The Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 directed that we “pray without ceasing,”. When you’re faced with a God-sized dream, pray.

   Are you afraid, experiencing doubt, in need of wisdom and understanding? Pray. Pray for the courage and strength to meet the right people and discuss with those who will support and admonish you as you pursue your God-sized dreams.

   2. Speak with those you respect and trust

   Do you have mentors, spiritual leaders, supervisors or particular people you respect? You don’t have to speak with everyone, speak with those your spirit leads you to.

   3. Review what you have been told

   It’s not enough to ask for advice, you also have to consider what you have been told. Review it in line with what you believe God has placed in your heart and the Bible. A few questions you can ask:

• Is this advice scriptural?
• Is it practical?
• Can it move me forward without complicating things?

Remember that you can always ask them follow-up questions.

4. Pray

Pray as often and as much as you can. Pray for clarity of purpose, for wisdom to do the right thing and for strength to do it at the right time.

 

3. Obey

I believe this is the next thing to do after you have sought wise counsel. You need to act, you need to take that next step.

There are times when we can’t see the full story and don’t know what’s around the next bend, that is where our obedience and faith come into play. You have to believe that the God that placed this dream/purpose in your heart will provide all that you need at the right time. His time, not yours.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

Are you now ready to pursue your God-sized dreams? Please share your story with us.