Does God Want You To Dream Big?

Does God want you to dream big?

If you’ve ever gone to a commencement ceremony or perused Hallmark’s graduation section, you’re familiar with phrases like . . .

“Dream big, work hard, make it happen.”

“Don’t hold yourself back.”

“You are capable of anything you set your mind to.”

“Nothing is impossible.”

“If you believe in yourself, you can achieve it.”

Power-quotes certainly coddle our itch for invincibility, and in America, pursuing one’s dreams has become somewhat of an inalienable right. But what about the Christian’s call to submit to God’s will? What about “thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven”?

Are only unbelievers allowed to dream big?

Before you set aside your dreams and goals, take a look at what it means to dream big with God.

Hey, I’m Lauren, author of YA Christian fiction and blogger for teens with higher aim.

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Wonderful Dreams vs. Wicked Dreams

What are your dreams? Perhaps you have a vision for who you want to become—a doctor, a stunt performer, or winner of the Indy 500. Maybe your dreams are more achievement-related, like making the varsity team, earning a 4.0 GPA, or getting into Harvard. Dreams can also revolve around things you’d like to possess, like a cabin in the mountains, a stable full of ponies, or a Maserati MCPura.

Unfortunately, you can’t always judge from the surface of your goals and immediately know whether they are good. Becoming a doctor isn’t automatically a more godly dream than owning a Maserati. (Shocked?)

So how do you know if your dream is wonderful or wicked? You must look at the heart of your desires.

Dive Into the Heart of Your Desires

Behind every dream is a deep want for something. Love, power, achievement, financial freedom, independence, but perhaps also the desire to give, show mercy, enact justice, minister to the poor, etc. You might have worldly desires mixed in with godly desires. You might want to become a doctor because you like helping people but, hey, doctors also make lots of money, and that’s appealing too! So now what?

Worldly desires often mix with godly desires.

In his article Lord, Align My Heart with Yours, Jon Bloom uses the example of Cain and Abel from Genesis 4. Both brothers brought an offering to the Lord. On the surface, both appeared to be doing something God-pleasing. Yet, we’re told God looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but not on Cain and his offering. What’s going on here?

Clearly, God saw corrupt desires in Cain’s heart. Cain couldn’t please God, not because his actions were inferior, but because his heart was in the wrong place. (Which, of course, became evident later when he murdered his brother.)

It’s never as black-and-white when you look at your own dreams because, as mentioned above, worldly desires often mix with godly desires. Therefore, you can’t take your dreams at face value. You must constantly question them, test them, and pray over them.

Your ultimate goal is to align your dreams with God’s will.

How to Align Your Dreams With God’s Will

“Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Matthew 26:39

The prayer Jesus prayed in Gethsemane is the prayer you need to pray also. Keep talking to God, but don’t forget to also listen for the answer. Do not, however, rely on feelings, signs, or that “voice inside your head” to tell you what God wants. You must seek him in his Word. (As in, read your Bible.)

Learn more about hearing God’s voice in Turn Down the Volume! How to Hear God’s Voice.

A Caution Against Perpetual Dreaming

One lie Christians often fall for is “if God wants me to do this, he will make it happen.” The belief that God will just drop the opportunities into your lap without you lifting a finger often renders you useless.

Yes, of course, he could do that. But he usually doesn’t.

This is not a “God helps those who help themselves” pep talk. (FYI, that phrase appears exactly zero times in the Bible.) This is a lesson in persistence and perseverance. God gave you a mind and a capable body so you can work hard. He might indeed be pleased for you to be a journalist, or a nurse, or an entrepreneur, or the governor of your state. But that means you need to study, work hard, and learn your trade.

You might fail your first test—or the first twenty tests. You might have to submit resumes to multiple companies before you get a job. Your work will be critiqued. But if you’re prayerful about your dreams, always bringing them back to him, and if you work hard, he will bless you, maybe beyond what you dreamed of.