Children are such confident and magnificent dreamers. You don’t hear children doubting their dreams. They go after what they’ve seen in their minds, with no fear of failure, without questioning their ability or fearing what people would think.
We were all those children once upon a time.
But then we grow up and we are taught about “real life”. We grow up and are told that only children have grand and wild imaginations, we are told that only children are allowed to dream.
But what you don’t realise is that, that sort of belief can actually hinder you spiritually. It can prevent you from dreaming the big dreams that God wants you to dream.
You Must Dream Magnificently
To step out into your calling and purpose and be used by God, you have to dream magnificent dreams, and you have to be as confident and fearless as a child. Sounds like a bit of a contradiction doesn’t it? But it’s true. You need to shake off the doubts, the maybes and the what if’s.
Sometimes you’ll have a dream in your heart that you believe God has placed there. But you don’t move towards it because you are too busy wondering what people will think. Or maybe you think the dream is too wild and you need to be more realistic.
But that’s not the case. Take it from Joseph.
Learn from Joseph the Dreamer
If there was one person who knew how to dream wildly, it was Joseph. When he was just seventeen years old, he had a dream of the sun, moon and eleven stars bowing to Him. (Genesis 37:2; 9) His dream was that he would one day rule over his whole family. That’s quite a daring dream. And in some ways, not really realistic, not sensible.
How could Joseph, of all the sons of Jacob be the one to rule? Surely it made more sense that it might be Reuben, the firstborn? Or maybe even Simeon? But no, it was Joseph.
And despite the fact that his dream was nearly impossible, nearly too wild (sound familiar?) Joseph went right on believing in it. He kept right on trusting in the vision God had shown him. And it came to pass at an even greater magnitude than anyone was expecting.
Not only did he become a ruler over his family, but he became ruler over all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. (Genesis 41:39-41) Wow!
That’s what happens when you allow yourself to dream big dreams.
Dreams are Not Only for Children
It’s important to note that Joseph was about thirty years old when all this finally came to pass. He was no longer a young boy anymore. By the time he was made ruler over Egypt he would have had plenty of time to “’grow up”, to start being more “serious” and “realistic”. And in the wake of all he went through that shouldn’t have been hard to do. Thrown in a pit, accused, and left in prison for two whole years. (Genesis 40:23-41)
That’s enough to kill anyone’s morale and get them down to earth again. But that’s not what happened to Joseph. And it’s not what you should allow to happen to you.
When it comes to your dream, there will be setbacks. There will be those who tell you to be sensible and to get your head out of the clouds. You may even start to wonder if maybe you have outgrown your dream and its best to leave it in your childhood.
But dreams are not only for children. They are for all of us. So don’t give up on your dream. Don’t lose sight of your vision, especially if it’s from God.
You’re Not Too Young or Too Old
Another thing that could be preventing you from allowing yourself to dream could be concerns about your age. But let me tell you brother or sister, when it comes to achieving your dreams, your age does not matter. God has propelled and guided women and men of God of all ages, young and old.
You know Moses, the man who led Israel through Red Sea? (Exodus 14:26-29) Or Joshua, the man who marched the walls of Jericho down? (Joshua 6:15; 20) These men were far from their peak age. They had long since lost their youthful splendour. But look at the mighty and daring things they accomplished.
And don’t start thinking that you’re too young either. Timothy didn’t.
At a young age, Timothy was already travelling with Paul and preaching the Word. (Acts 16:1, 20:3-4) He was even preparing to take over the church of Ephesus.
Just to put that into context, churches in the first Century were not like churches today. They were not single buildings filled with hundreds of people. Churches were all the Christian believers within a city or place. So church leaders then were in charge of all those people. That’s quite the responsibility isn’t it? But Timothy took it up.
This goes to show that you are not too young or too old to accomplish what God has called you to do. You are not too young or too old to accomplish your dream.
Be Bold and Courageous
So if you’ve been questioning your dream, let this serve as an encouragement. If you’ve been wondering whether it’s too late or just plain impossible, you should know it’s not. Maybe with man, but definitely not with God. (Matthew 19:26)
So don’t give up on your dream, regardless of how huge or wild it seems. Just as the Lord told Joshua, He is telling you now, be bold and courageous. (Joshua 1:9) Don’t lose that childlike confidence, that fearlessness.
Remember when you were a child with a head full of dreams. When you didn’t doubt or question anything you imagined. Be that child again and dare to dream the dreams that God has called you to dream.
