Dare to Dream
NEHEMIAH WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL BY PATRICE TSAGUE
What are your dreams?
Are they self-centered or God-centered?
Do your dreams include the benefit of others?
| For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope. – Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV) |
Dare to Dream
It was 1963 when a young minister stood on the steps of the Capitol and shared with the nation a dream that he had about the future of America. In spite of the realities of his time, he was able to project beyond the current reality to see hope and a future. He dared to dream.
Here is some of what he said:
| “Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.“ |
Today, we are living in the reality of this dream.
When most people think of a dream, they think of the thoughts, ideas, and stories that wander through our subconscious minds while we are sleeping. The reality is that we seldom remember those dreams.
When I speak of a dream, I am speaking of a vision – the hope of a preferred future that you desire and that aligns with God’s purpose for your life. This type of dream is not developed in your sleep, but while you are awake and fully alert and focused.
It does not catch you by surprise, but rather it is based on intentional effort on your part. What are your dreams? What are you believing in God for in your business and personal life? You may be saying to yourself, “I want something better, but my current circumstance makes it impossible.” I challenge you to dare to dream.
Dare to imagine a better future. Dare to see your business achieving those revenue goals, dare to see yourself acquiring those new contracts, dare to imagine a state in your life where the things you believe God for have come to pass.
If Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream can come to pass, so can yours. As a matter of fact, yours may even be more possible than he was. For Dr. King’s dream to come to pass, it took a combination of political, social, economic, and spiritual factors, all working together at the same time. No one could have imagined that and it took God’s help to bring it to pass. Your dream may not need all of those elements to become a reality, but it will need to be aligned with God’s purposes for you and for others.
The key to realizing your dream is to have dreams that are God-centered and also focused on benefiting others. Dr. King’s dream was not for his personal benefit but for the benefit of others. It was in line with God’s will for the nation. Remember to dare to dream, because God’s thoughts toward you are of peace and not evil, and to give you – and those whom you are called to serve – a future and hope (Jeremiah 29:11).
My prayer for you today is that God will grant you the focus and alertness to dare to dream, and the ability to carry out those dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem.
I experienced fresh growth in this area.
This piece is encouraging and profound.
I used to dream but then stopped when i saw my dreams seemed impossible for me. What i should have remembered is that they are not impossible for God.
I will dare to dream once again, this time with God at the centre of my dreams.
This has encouraged me today.