Genesis 37:2-10, Proverbs 15:22, Luke 9:51, Proverbs 13:12, Proverbs 11:24, Luke 6:38, Mark 9:23-24

Glyn Barrett considers the main stumbling blocks to seeing dreams fulfilled

Glyn Barrett

T.E. Lawrence wrote, "All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds awake to the day to find it was all vanity. But dreamers of the day are dangerous, for they act out their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible".

Dreaming is dangerous! We all remember the hours and hours we spent as children indulging in the realm of 'let's pretend' but as we grew older and 'matured', daydreaming was discouraged (especially by teachers) and our language changed from 'let's pretend' to 'let's be real'. But, what if the realm of the impossible is where we are supposed to live? What if daydreaming was our God-given birthright?

The Bible is a book of dreams. In the first book of the Bible, we read about Joseph who was notably one of the biggest dreamers of them all. It seems even the foundations of our world & faith are birthed in 'dreaming!' Genesis 37:5 says "Joseph had a dream". Everything starts with a dream. The chair you sit in, the vehicle you take to work, the TV you watch, the church you are in are all a result of someone having a dream.

Even though Joseph had a bold, God-given dream there was still a massive gap to bridge between its inception and fulfillment. After unwisely sharing his dream with his brothers, Joseph was; thrown into a well, sold into slavery, accused of sexual impropriety, imprisoned, forgotten and abandoned - all before the dream became a reality! We all have good and bad days where our dreams are concerned; the risk is that we can let setbacks neutralise or extinguish our dream in its infancy.

What are the main ways our dreams get snuffed out before their time?

1. Me

I am my own worst nightmare when it comes to fulfilling my dreams ... and you are yours!! We have to learn to see ourselves as God sees, otherwise we will look at our God dreams and say, "How on earth am I going to achieve that?" When God spoke to Moses his response was 'Why me?'. Moses was speaking from a position of identity, but God was speaking destiny. Are you seeing yourself as God sees you? As his most beloved son? As his most cherished daughter?

Joseph, too, was his own worst enemy when it came to the fulfilment of his dreams. Even before he shared his dream with his brothers, they already disliked him. In Genesis 37:2 we see Joseph bringing a 'bad report' on his brothers. He was a tell-tale! You might have a brilliant God dream but if you're not likeable it's going to be pretty hard to carry people along with you on the journey. Don't underestimate the importance of being nice. My practical advice is to keep short accounts, look people in the eye and, even when you really want to get your point across to someone, be an active listener first. It's amazing how people's opinion of you will shift when they know you're willing to listen to them!

2. Other People
Another thing that can limit us in realising our dreams is other people. In Genesis 37:8-10 we read that Joseph's brothers hated him because of his dream. Oftentimes, people will try to encourage you to think small or may even come against you because of your dream. The Bible tells us that there is "wisdom in a multitude of counsellors" (Prov 15:22), but you need to choose your counsel wisely. It is pointless going to a Sumo wrestling convention for tips on physical exercise & weight loss. Sure, it is a multitude - but wrong crowd!! Many people will come to you with 'wise words', from the 'right place' but the key thing is, 'What is God saying'? So many people shelve their dreams because of a negative word or piece of discouragement. Keep a tight hold of your dream and 'set your face like flint' (Luke 9:51) if you know God has given it.

3. Unfulfilled Expectations
Who hasn't been hurt by unfulfilled expectations? A failed marriage. An unsuccessful business venture. A university course not turning out to be what you hoped. The Bible tells us that "hope deferred makes the heart sick" (Prov 13:12). For Joseph, things went from bad to worse as a result of the lies spoken about him and of being mistreated by others. If we don't expect too much then we can't get hurt, right? Are you willing to compromise your dream to live an inward looking, small and safe life? According to Proverbs, "The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller & smaller." (Prov 11:24 MSG). Are you willing to be generous with your time, your dream and your heart?

4. Getting Real
We can all get weighed down about the expectations and responsibilities that life seems to put upon us. We feel the need to 'get serious'. We start to focus on the fact that we have bills to pay, people to look after, things that need doing, a diary of commitments that need to be upheld. I think when Joseph was accused of sexual impropriety and thrown into jail he probably had to get serious too - but he didn't let it cost him his dream. Everyone is free to dream!

5. Belief That Dreaming Is For The Kids
Have you ever felt that you are too old to dream? Can a mature man or woman still really afford to? There is a temptation to resign ourselves to the idea that the period of time for goal-setting and ambition is over. Maybe similar thoughts went through Abraham's mind as the years passed by and Sarah gave him no son. But God's promise remained true.

Nobody said that dreaming would be easy; indeed the scripture 'pressed down, shaken together and running all over' (Luke 6:38) describes a perfect image of blessing being messy; if you want to be blessed by God and see your dreams come true be prepared for a bumpy ride!

Take a minute to think about what you might have inadvertently allowed to affect and infect your dreaming. Now start to think, 'Should I?', 'Would I?' 'Could I?'

"'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes.'" (Mark 9:23-24)
God chose to inhabit earth as a man, and his death on the cross meant that we could afford to dream again. It meant that dreaming was our right and our responsibility. His demonstration of resurrection power was a guarantee that we could trust Him to make the impossible possible in our lives.

I challenge you to set a higher goal; pray a bigger prayer; dream a bigger dream...