Does God Want You To Dream Big?

Does God want you to dream big? I can only imagine what your response to that might be. What kind of Negative Nancy would say God doesn’t want us to dream big? Isn’t that part of what he created us to do—why he gave us our talents and this fascinating world to explore?

This is a sneaky question because the definition of “dreaming big” varies. If you’ve ever gone to a graduation ceremony, you’ve heard phrases like these:

“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.”

We like to believe anything is possible, and in some respects, anything is possible. But there is a right way to dream big, and a wrong way.

Hi, I’m Lauren Thell, author of Christian YA fiction and blogger for teens who are ready to exceed the world’s expectations.

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The Truth About the Impossible

“Nothing is impossible.”

Nothing is impossible for God. But I am not God, and neither are you.

That is, nothing is impossible for God. But I am not God, and neither are you. We are human, and we have limitations. No matter how hard I believe in myself, I still can’t hold my breath underwater for two hours. (Did you know the world record is a whopping twenty-five minutes?!)

Other goals cannot be achieved with integrity still intact, as with most means of making quick money. And though I’m an avid observer of the night sky, I will probably never make it to outer space because the sheer amount of time and money it would take for me to get there would be a waste of resources. (I’m speaking personally. This is not meant to discourage the genuine budding astronaut!)

Humans have limitations. Sometimes, even when you want something bad enough—even when you put all your faith in your capabilities and work really hard—you still won’t achieve it. This is the hard truth.

Some things truly are impossible.

Dream Big By Yourself, Dream Bigger With God

Nothing is impossible with God, but the one thing that could hold you back from the greatness you could achieve through him is fear.

My husband used to be afraid of heights so he became a pole vaulter. By college, he was so over his fear of heights, he had no problem climbing the catwalk above our university’s main stage theater—which is not for the faint of heart.

All these fears and countless others can be overcome through believing in a God who has no limitations.

Do you fear public speaking? Does the idea of going to a third-world country to be a missionary scare you? Are you afraid of living in the big city? Do you hold back from social gatherings out of shyness? Does success scare you because of the responsibility it brings?

All these fears and countless others can be overcome through believing in a God who has no limitations. This is where he wants you to dream big. If you aspire to achieve something big, put your plans in his hands and do not let fear hold you back.

Dream big, work hard, believe in the power of God to make it happen.

Don’t Get Stuck on Dreaming

“If God wants me to do this, he will make it happen.”

If anything can hobble a person more than fear, it’s the belief that God will just drop the opportunities into your lap without you lifting a finger.

Yes, of course, he could do that. But he usually doesn’t. Because you wouldn’t grow through that.

If anything can hobble a person more than fear, it’s the belief that God will just drop the opportunities into your lap without you lifting a finger.

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.