Acts 2:17-21
“In the Last Days,” God says, “I will pour out my Spirit on every kind of people: Your sons will prophesy, also your daughters; and your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams. When the time comes I’ll pour out my Spirit On those who serve me, both men and women, and they will prophesy. I’ll set wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billowing smoke, the sun turning black and the moon blood-red, before the Day of the Lord arrives, the Day tremendous and marvelous; and whoever calls out for help to me, God, will be saved.”
We heard a man speak the other day about holding fast to our dreams. It was very provoking to our minds and souls. His premise was that dreams take incredible focus, but we are assaulted by constant distractions. Therefore, we are in need of making principled decisions. We have fought for many dreams together through the years , and this provided animating clarity to what he was saying.
Personal dreams are extremely important to experiencing a satisfying life. Relationships. Finances. My personal respect of myself and of others. A mind at peace with where I am in my process. Not all of our dream pursuits were worthwhile. It has been a sifting process which has shaped what is important and what is not.
Distractions are endemic to American life. Tech. Leisure. Job options. Pursuit of personal interests. This list is long and complicated. The speaker’s premise was simple.
If it does not contribute to our dream or dreams it should be discarded.
The more we focus on our goals and relegate distractions to the sidelines, the greater our chances for personal success. I believe this. Perhaps taking the time to identify what distracts us dramatically contributes to accomplishing our dreams.
We suggest identifying 3-5 areas of personal distraction which consume your dreams. Things such as: media choices, multiplying or diluted interests, worry, fear, lust, or anger. We all have our own unique list, I think.
This led us to once again consider our God dreams. We like to call these Kingdom dreams, because our ultimate dream involves standing before our Creator and hearing the words well done. Here are some examples of ideas about big dreams. Let us know what you think!
√ We are driven to help others find hope, even if it costs us something.
√ Unlocking threads of the God Story for people directs us toward our pursuit of wisdom.
√ Helping other’s hearts sing is big for us. What can we do to inspire and encourage?
√ Engaging in bold prayers over the sufferings and successes of others seems to feed the God part of us.
√ Whenever we can encourage someone who has a warrior spirit we find we are better for our effort.
Time and attention devoted to achieving our dreams is well spent. Don’t you think?
Dave & Burnadette