A collaboration with Cally Logan at callylogan.com
By Madeline Kalu
3 min read
Dreams.
We all have them.
We all dream them.
Some of us dream of finding the right spouse, or having a baby. Others dream of starting a new business, being healed from an illness or addiction, or going on missions to share the Gospel. And some of us dream of living a normal life, protected from unjust persecution and liberated from the horrors of a senseless war.
Our dreams come to us as wispy fragments of longing – gentle murmurings in the darkest hours of the night that rouse our minds and quicken our hearts with expectation, whilst our bodies ignorantly slumber. Or they come to us unexpectedly as a brief mental snapshot of an alternative future that evokes an unfamiliar flicker of hope in us.
And yet, too many people tuck their dreams in the mental drawer of their brain that’s labeled “Impossible” “Maybe in the Future”, or “Save for When Times are Better”. Or worst of all, they condemn their dreams into the deepest corner of their hearts and bolt them up tight with a padlock that’s inscribed with “This Could Never Happen to Me”.
But what if we could live the kind of life we’ve always dreamed of?
What if l told you that God wants us to live out our dreams as a fulfillment of His good plans for us?
So, how do we make our dreams a reality?
The Bible encourages us to turn our dreams into goals that we purposely pursue to achieve. Proverbs 21:5 declares, “The plans of the diligent lead to profit.”
However, in order to turn a dream that is in our hearts into a goal that we can evaluate and work towards, we need to first and foremost seek God’s presence to determine whether the pursuit of that particular dream is in accordance with His will.
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and He will establish your plans.”
Once we have prayerfully considered God’s purpose for us, we need to write our goals down.
“Write down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets.”
You can write down your goals in a journal, make a goal map, or set up a vision board. Additionally, calculate the costs and benefits of reaching your goals, as Jesus explains in Luke 14:28:
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?”
Setting goals is not unspiritual. In fact, it goes against God’s desire when we live a life without motivation or purpose, as He illustrates in Proverbs 6:6-9:
“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.
How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?”
Therefore friends, dare to believe that 2023 will be the year that you see your dreams become a reality! Make goals in the assurance that God is with you and guiding you, and that the plans He puts in your heart are to prosper you and to give you hope and a future.
Photo: B. Tran
Madeline Kalu is a Christian writer and the co-founder of Jacob’s Ladder Blog. She was born in England, was raised in Australia, and currently lives in Germany with her husband, Solomon. Madeline is in recovery from burnout, chronic depression, and anxiety.
She believes that God can take life’s adversities and work them out for His good; hence, she uses her writing voice to raise awareness of mental illness, as well as to spread the light of God’s love to those who are mentally trapped in the dark, and provide them with hope and encouragement.
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