How Do I Know If My Dream Is Worth Pursuing?

When I was a little girl, in the days of wearing pig tails and summer jumpers, I would often lay in the grass and stare at the sky. The tall blades of grass didn’t prickle my skin like they do today. Instead, the plush green carpet cooled my sun-kissed skin and invited me to drift into daydreaming bliss.

As I watched the clouds happily float across the sky’s expanse, I would dream about my future. I dreamed of marrying a tall, dark, handsome and rich man. He would adore me more than anything else on this planet and build a castle just for me where I could be pampered daily by a team of adoring attendants. And because I loved playing the piano and painting my nails, I dreamed of becoming a musician or beautician.

Fast forward thirty years and I have married my prince who built me my dream home. It’s not a castle but a charming country home off a rural road. And as much as I would’ve loved a team of adoring attendants, I instead gave birth to a team of adorable children who bring more beauty and richness to my life than amount of nail polish or wealth ever could.

A lot has changed since I was a little girl, but one thing hasn’t. I still love to dream.

In the midst of the beautiful chaos of motherhood and wifehood, my heart still whispers to me at night. When the children are fast asleep and the house is still, the desires of my heart invite me to dream. Sometimes I lay awake for hours, my heart pounding in my chest, excitement energizing me like caffeine, as I allow the dreams to play out in my mind.

My dream is to be a speaker, author and Bible teacher. My heart’s desire is for God to use me to teach the Bible in a way that draws women into a dynamic relationship with Himself. I want God to use me to stir up excitement and passion in the hearts of women so that they, too, will go after their God-given dreams and change this world for Christ. Three years ago, God gave me the green light to begin making this dream a reality. But the years leading up to the launch were filled with much soul searching and constant questioning of God to confirm this dream as one that was from him and not just from me.

Friend, do you have passions and desires in your heart that call out to you? From where you are now, do those dreams feel silly? Impossible? Do you wonder if your dream is from God or from you? Do you hear about a God-given destiny and perceive it to be something the lies out of reach, something swirling above the chaos and demands of real life?

If so, let this truth pierce your reality today: God planted a very real and unique dream in your heart when he created you. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I [God] made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work.” You have been set apart and equipped to fulfill a specific and extraordinary purpose. So how do you know if this dream in your heart is the real deal? Here are some common indicators many people experience when God has placed a dream in their heart.

v  The dream aligns with God’s Word.

v  Love for God and others is at its center.

v  You can’t stop thinking about it. It’s like Jesus keeps knocking on the door of your heart.

v  You feel unprecedented fear and excitement at the same time.

v  It fits with your strengths, personality, gifts, talents and experiences, yet it is beyond what you can do.

v  People think you’re crazy.

v  It requires great faith in God and great personal sacrifice.

v  It brings you amazing joy and passion that bubbles out of you.

v  It draws you into a deeper relationship with God.

 

Beautiful friend, if your heart is crying out to you right now, confirming the dream in your heart, I want you to take a deep breath…now exhale…and spend a few minutes talking to God about your next step.

 

You were made for this.

 

Your God-given dreams have been given to you to draw you into deeper relationship with the Dream Giver. Through that life-giving relationship, you will do world-altering things for the kingdom of God. In all your dreaming, never lose sight of the truth that God cares most about His relationship with you. God ultimately created you for relationship with Himself. He loves you so much!

 

As you step out with obedient faith to pursue your God-given destiny, you will experience God as your strength, confidence, courage and lover of your soul. You will see His power and faithfulness to you and to those you impact with your calling. Nothing else will ever compare with living out your God-given destiny.

 

If you would like to learn more about how to go deeper in your relationship with God and live out your God-given dreams, check out Anna Frye’s book, “Extraordinary You: Created to Live with Passion and Purpose”. Purchase your copy today at www.ChosenAndCrowned.com/store. You can follow Anna’s blog at www.ChosenAndCrowned.com and connect with Anna on Facebook.