God-Sized Dreams: A 30-Day Journey of Faith and CourageSample

How Can You Make Time for Your God-Sized Dream?

I flip through the channels on our television. On one, a documentary shares how time travel may one day be common in our lives. I pause for a moment and wonder what that would be like.

I can think of a few friends who would love “time travel gift certificates” as future birthday gifts. Time frustrates us because we can’t control it. We can manage, savor, or waste it—but we can’t change it.

That leads to the question I get most often when it comes to God-sized dreams: “How can I make time for my dream?” The answer is not the one we want to hear: we can’t “make” time for our God-sized dream or for anything else in our lives. God alone is the Maker of time.

What we can do is give time to our dreams. But that has to happen within the constraints of the clock—the 24 hours, 1440 minutes, and 86,400 seconds we have each day. There is something or someone else willing to claim every bit of that unless we intentionally say part of it has been set aside for our dreams.

Here’s the good news: God-sized dreams usually don’t require as much time as we think. If you’re struggling to find time for your dream, start with fifteen minutes a day. If that’s still too much, try five. You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish with that little bit. And if you stick to it day after day, that little will add up to a lot.

Because here’s the reality: if your God-sized dream is truly from him, then there is time for it in your life. It may take some creativity, saying no to other commitments, or just plain ol’ perseverance, but you can make it happen.

Sure, it would be nice to be able to move to the beach and focus only on our dreams. But most of us don’t have that option. Our God-sized dreams have to unfold right in the middle of reality—including the reality of the ticking clock. Going slower than we like can be frustrating, but even one step forward a day is better than not moving at all.

If we’re not okay with just giving a little time to our dream, then it may be that “I don’t have time” isn’t the real reason we’re not moving ahead. Maybe the real reason is fear. Sometimes saying “I don’t have time” is easier than admitting “I’m scared silly and I don’t know if I can do this.”

Use small amounts of time as a test. If you’re not willing to spend five minutes a day on your dream, then time isn’t the real issue. That’s okay—we all have obstacles to overcome. It’s just better to know it and name it than to keep telling ourselves it’s only about our schedules.

We serve the Savior who took five loaves and two fish and multiplied them into a meal that fed thousands. God can multiply our resources, including our time. We can’t “make” time, but he can. Be obedient today to offer what you have, and he will be faithful to turn it into what’s needed to accomplish his purposes in your life.

Go Deeper

Read how Jesus can multiply what we have in Matthew 14:13-21.

God, you are the Maker of time, and you have given me what I need to accomplish your purposes for my life. When I look at my schedule, sometimes I’m not sure how or where this dream you’ve placed in my heart fits, but you know. Please help me be wise with every minute that I have, and show me what you would have me do. I offer all of my life to you. Amen.

What’s one truth you want to remember?

What’s the next small step you’ll take?