We are back on track. Have had some trouble getting our blog posted.
Yesterday, across the United States, we celebrated the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. Of all the men who have lived in my lifetime, perhaps none has been more influential on our society, than Dr. King. This one man, through the power of a dream, set in motion the thoughts, ideals, and actions that brought about unprecedented change to the very culture of our nation, and many nations around the world.
On August 28, 1963, in Washington DC, Dr King delivered a speech that goes down in history as one of the greatest speeches ever made. The “I Have a Dream” speech has been rightfully compared to Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, as not only one of the finest speeches ever made, but also as a turning point in our country.
Someone has said, “The world belongs to the dreamer.” Everything that has ever been created or developed started as a dream or idea in somebody’s mind. Take a look around you for a moment. The computer on which you are reading this blog started as a dream. The chair you are sitting in was somebody’s dream. The clothing you are wearing is the result of someone’s dream. The car you drive started as someone’s dream on a drawing board. You get the point. Without a dream nothing is created or accomplished.
You will never enjoy success in any venture if you don’t have a dream. Having a dream of what you want to do, accomplish, or become in life is the foundation for personal success. The key to your future is found in the dream you possess and pursue. Centuries ago the wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon wrote, “Without a vision (dream) the people perish.” One translation says, “They cast off restraint and run wildly.”
There is no future if there is no dream. In order to become all that God created you to be, you must begin to see beyond what is to what can be. See beyond the present.
Here are seven things I’ve learned about dreams:
Dreams give you purpose. Life is meaningless without purpose. In order to be fulfilled in life you must have a purpose or reason for being. Your purpose in life is found in the dream of what you want to accomplish.
Dreams give you direction. They help you to have the right priorities and objectives. They give you something to aim at. Dreams help you do what you were created to do.
Dreams help you focus. Through having a dream you are able to fully concentrate on what needs to be accomplished. We are all faced with many things in life that can distract or deter us from what we were created for. Dreams help us to not be distracted.
Dreams motivate and inspire you. They are what give you a passion for life. When you truly have a God-given dream you think about it all the time. It fills every waking and sleeping moment. You become obsessed with it. It encompasses everything that you do. You eat it, sleep it, drink it, talk about it, study it, read about it and pray about it. It is what gets you up in the morning. It is something you can’t wait to get up and pursue.
Dreams keep you going in spite of adversity. When you have a God-given dream it doesn’t matter what opposition comes your way, it can’t stop you. Adversity cannot slow you down, deter you or keep you back, when you have a dream. It doesn’t matter what comes your way, lack of finances, health problems, interpersonal relationship problems, a dream gives you a reason not to quit or give up. A dream will cause you to be persistent. “Quitters never win and winners never quit.”
Dreams are the seed to your future. What you dream about today determines where you will be tomorrow. The key to your future is found in the dream you have today. Instead of accepting life as it now is, get a dream of where you want to be and what you want to do.
Dreams must be acted on. I saw a sign not long ago that said, “Don’t just dream it. Do it!” Dreams can produce powerful results, but only if acted upon. At some point in order to accomplish great things, you must put legs on your dreams. They can only be effective if acted on.
Action Steps:
1. What is the BIG dream God has placed in your heart?
2. Are you pursuing it? If not why?
3. Do you have a plan in place for seeing it become a reality?
4. What is standing in your way to it becoming a reality?
5. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to see it become a reality?
