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

What a God-Sized Dream Isn’t

“But I thought that everything would turn out the way I planned,” she says as she wraps her hands tighter around her coffee cup. I nod with compassion. Oh, how I’ve been there.

When we start the journey to a God-sized dream, we often do so with many assumptions inside us. They’re beliefs are so deep that we usually don’t even realize we’re carrying them with us.

My God-sized dream will make me happy.

My God-sized dream will make me feel better about myself.

My God-sized dream will turn out the way that I expect.

Then somewhere down the road, those unspoken beliefs meet with reality, and we wind up feeling frustrated, disappointed, and perhaps even a little betrayed. After all, aren’t we doing what God wants?

So before you get to that point, let’s have a little chat about what a God-sized dream is not.

A God-sized dream is not a path to happiness. It’s a path to true joy. And that means that there is going to be suffering along the way too. “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:1–2 NIV).

A God-sized dream is not a way to feel better about ourselves. Yes, we will discover more of who we’re created to be along the way. But we will also learn more about how broken, weak, and needy we are, too. God-sized dreams will make you more secure in your identity in Christ, but they are not about building your “self-esteem.”

A God-sized dream is not a guarantee that your expectations will be met. God’s thoughts and ways are not like ours. So usually what he has in mind is different than what we imagine when we start. We can trust that we can “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” even if it turns out those desires are actually totally different than what we first thought (Psalm 37:4 NIV).

Pause for a moment and think of the expectations attached to your God-sized dream. What do you assume will happen? What might you even believe you have a “right” to experience because you’re pursuing this dream? Whatever that is, lay it at the feet of Jesus now. Tell him that you are setting aside all of what you believe a God-sized dream to be and asking for what he truly wills instead.

Your God-sized dream may not turn out to be what you have in mind.

But you can always trust that it will be what’s in God’s heart for you.

And there’s nothing better than his best for your life.

Go Deeper

Read Hebrews 12:1–3 to see how Jesus handled the journey to his God-sized dream of saving our world.

God, it gives me so much comfort to know you understand my heart even better than I do. You can see the future and all it holds, as well as how my God-sized dream will unfold. I yield all my hopes and expectations to you. I pray, above all, that your will would be done in my life. I love you and I trust you. Amen.

What’s one truth you want to remember?

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