The God of Your Dreams

Written English can often communicate ideas never intended. By simply putting the emphasis on one

Dreams can become reality

word over another, you can make a simple phrase say many different things. Consider the title of this article: The God of Your Dreams. By changing the emphasis around we can see three stages of Christian development. Which stage are you in?

The God of your DREAMS is one stage. By that I mean that God is often unreal to people. They believe in Him, they just do not realize that He is alive and well. He seems distant at best. They are similar to the evil servant in Matthew 24:45-51. The master went away and made a servant ruler over his household. The servant said, “My master is delaying his coming” and began to mistreat the other servants and to eat and drink with the drunkards (verse 49). This man’s problem was that he did not consider that his master could return at any moment.

When God is a “dream” or seems “unreal” we will live however we want and pay lip-service to Him as God.

Next consider the God of YOUR dreams. This is the stage many go through when they realize that God will bless them. They turn to God and please Him so that He will provide for them in return. “All your dreams will come true if you are faithful to God!” The problem with this is that nowhere are we promised that our dreams would come true. Certainly God blesses people. He will provide many things your heart desires, but that is not the reason to serve Him. Jesus said in John 6:27, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food that endures to everlasting life...” 

Service to God comes from a heart of fear, respect, love, and the realization that He is Lord of all. He is not a genie in a bottle. He is not so hungry for praise and devotion that He will give you all your heart’s desire if you will only praise Him a little. He does not need us at all. We need and rely upon HIM for everything. It is our entire duty of life to love Him and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). 

Then consider the emphasis where it belongs: THE GOD of your dreams. It is good and fine to have dreams and goals in life, but whose goals and dreams are they? Where do they originate? If they are not what GOD intends for your life then they are not fitting for a Christian to pursue. If God is not the ruler over the dreams you have, you misunderstand what God expects from His people. All that we say or do should be to the glory of God (Colossians 3:17). Are your dreams worthy of your calling in Christ? Are they products of faith and courage? Do they pursue paths God wants you to pursue? When you recognize that He is the ruler of your life, your goals and dreams will match His will for your life found in the Scriptures.

What do your dreams and goals in life say about you? What do they say about your view of God and your relationship to Him? If you search your life, which word would get the emphasis in the phrase “The God of Your Dreams”?