I believe that whatever we are passionate about, we will dream about. Monday, we discussed how we not only have seasons of dreaming, but at some point we have to act on those dreams. You can check it out HERE. I just started reading Wide Awake by Erwin McManus. My family got it for me for Father’s Day, but I’m just now getting around to reading it. In the book, he says this:
Sometimes what should be a dream inspiring us is actually a fantasy distracting us. Say for instance , if you’re waiting to be abducted by aliens from outer space and have been giving your whole life to this dream, it’s probably safe to say this is not a life well spent.
Have you ever met someone who was pursuing the wrong dream? You know, it’s the “American Idol” syndrome. You are so sure of your talent and are waiting to be discovered, but even your friends don’t like to hear you sing. You might want to ask yourself, Is this a dream or just a fantasy?
There are churches all over this country who have pastors with big dreams and big ideas. They talk big too. In fact, they have no problem inspiring others to believe in that dream. However, when it comes down to implementing their dream, they lack the talent. George Barna points out in his book, The Second Coming of the Church, that while most pastors may have a gift of communicating, many of them lack leadership gifts and ability. Their lack of delegation and their lack of knowledge when it comes to implementation kills the church, or at least keeps it stagnant. They build up the hope of the people in the church, but those same hopeful people get discouraged when the big dreams turn into just that, a big dream.
Dreaming and reality is a thin line. There are stories all throughout the Bible where God used the least talented people (at least though human eyes) to fulfill a big dream. For some of us, we may posses talents we are unaware of, but unless we are willing to experiment and develop, we may just miss out on a dream God is giving us.
I can dream all day long of painting beautiful art like Michelangelo did in the Sistine Chapel, but I lack the talent, therefore it is a fantasy. I can dream all day long of becoming a rock star, but I lack the talent, another fantasy. God will not give a person a dream that he does not accompany the talent to fulfill that dream with, or in some situations (like Nehemiah) the people to help bring the dream to reality. If you are dreaming about something that you know you lack the talent on, it may be good to evaluate whether or not its a dream or a fantasy. If you are sitting paralyzed on the sidelines because you’ve chased one too many fantasies, it may be time to get back in the game and ask God to let you dream again. Just because a dream turned into a fantasy does not mean you should give up, it just means you are wiser!
Erwin goes on to say…
When your dreams are aligned with your talent, you are postured to not only dream big, but live big…The bigger people dream, the bigger they tend to live.
Join the Conversation…What keeps you or has kept you from Dreaming Big? Have you ever been discouraged by following fantasies?
Thanks for this post, Nick! It hits me right where I’m living, these days. Is church planting a dream or a fantasy for me? I’m trying to figure that out. I’ve got a phone appt with a church planting Exec this afternoon that might help shed light on that question. I continue to appreciate your prayers and am praying for you and New Passion every time I see your name! 🙂
Thanks Ben, I’m glad it was useful to you.