There are reasons that prevent people from fulfilling their dreams. For instance, some people are influenced by a self-defeating mindset. They continually dwell on such negative thoughts as, I can't do that. I don't know how. It's simply too hard. However, none of these excuses is a permanent condition, for each is subject to change according to the choice of the individual.
If you apply yourself, you can learn to do what you don't presently know how to do. It may look too big to accomplish, but it can always be broken down to smaller, more easily accomplished goals. Ecclesiastes 5:3 (NAS) prepares us for this kind of challenge. It says, "For the dream comes through much effort, and the voice of a fool through many words." Even the impossible can be changed when we get the Word of God involved! As Jesus said, "...Al l things are possible to him who believes" (Mark 9:23 NAS)!
Then there are the people who are so short-sighted or overwhelmed that they cannot see beyond the immediate. They feel too weighed down with today to even think about tomorrow. Getting through the day is just about all they can hope to accomplish.
Does that sounds familiar? If so, you must examine your schedule and set new priorities. Be sure to schedule in time to dream about the future God has planned for you. Begin to see the future God has planned for your life with your "eye of faith." Then take advice from the apostle Paul: "Let heaven fill your thoughts; don't spend your time worrying about things down here" (Colossians 3:2 TLB). After all, if you don't know what God wants for your life, you can't possibly achieve it!
Too many Christians go through life wondering what the will of God is for their lives. Don't let that happen to you. If you don't know your divine purpose, life becomes a boring routine as you aim for one target after another but never hit the bull's eye. But when you reach for the dream God places in your heart, life becomes exciting and decision-making easy.
Anything that doesn't move you toward your dream or purpose should either be avoided or eliminated. Once you discover the target, aim all your efforts at setting small, realistic goals that will move you toward your particular "bull's eye."
The good news is that God doesn't consult our past when determining our future. We all fall short at one time or another; however, we can't allow a setback to completely knock us out of action. The apostle Paul experienced countless setbacks; nevertheless, he said, "...We may be knocked down, but we are never knocked out!" (2 Corinthians 4:9 Phillips).
Besides, some failures are simply a matter of human opinion, and God's thoughts and plans supersede the opinion of humans. For instance, after thousands of attempts, Thomas Edison's staff was convinced that one of his ideas was impossible. But Edison maintained an attitude that refused failure. He just said they had simply learned thousands of ways not to do it!
Adopt that same attitude in regard to your own past failures. Even if that failure happened yesterday, don't let it detour you from your dream. There is no way to change the past anyway, so focus on the future!
Paul gave us an excellent example to follow when he wrote "...I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward— to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us" (Philippians 3:14 Message).
Hanging Out With the Wise
The words and attitudes of "do-nothing" people can affect us, so sometimes it is necessary to change the company we keep. In Proverbs 22:25 (Message), Solomon introduces this principle of association, warning of the danger of keeping company with an angry person: "Bad temper is contagious ¾ don't get infected."
If we choose to keep company with "do-nothing" and "can't-do" people, they will only cause us to be like them. Proverbs 13:20 (Message) warns, "Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces."
Find the courage to make adjustments in your social life until all your close associates are "possibility thinkers"— people who believe that nothing is possible to them when they believe; that they are more than conquerors through Christ; and that God will do exactly what He says He will do for them. Then watch the difference it makes in your life when you associate with this caliber of companions. That's why the writer of Hebrews urges us to "...imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised" (Hebrews 6:12 NIV).
You may say that no one near you lives the kind of faith that Hebrews refers to. But don't let your geographic location— or any other circumstance, for that matter— stop you from developing into the person you desire to be. Any bookstore or library can provide you with books about men and women who achieved their "impossible dream."
Keep Believing To See Your Dream!
Like the men and women written about in the Bible, our dreams may not come to pass in the immediate time frame we desire. Nevertheless, we must faithfully pursue our God-given dream until the fruit is ripe for harvesting. Our confidence must remain fixed on the promise of God, regardless of the negative circumstances that may surround us. We must say as David said after a series of his own personal disappointments, "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" (Psalm 27:13 NKJ).
Genuine hope is not wishful thinking; rather, it is firm assurance about things that are unseen and still in our future. We need to be firmly assured that as we continue to delight ourselves in the Lord, He will surely give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). Remember, He is the One who placed those desires there in the first place!
Excerpt permission granted by Dennis Burke Ministries
Vikki and Dennis began as youth pastors in 1973 in Southern California where they received tremendous insight into the work of the local church. In 1976, they moved to Ft. Worth, Texas, to work with Kenneth Copeland Ministries. Vikki worked with KCM for three years before entering full-time ministry with her husband. Since that time, their relationship and involvement with Kenneth Copeland Ministries has continued. Vikki and Dennis have had numerous articles published in the Believer's Voice of Victory magazine.
