Have you ever taken the time to ask yourself, “What if?”
What if you finished your degree? What if you started that business? What if
you were out of debt? When you ask the “What if” question, you are allowing
yourself to dream.
I want to talk about 5 years from now. What do you see? What
are you doing to prepare and plan for what you see? Most of us are so busy
doing things we have to do that we never get around to doing what we really
want to do. Many people never take the time to think about what God wants them
to do…over the next 5 years. Many people abandon their dreams for one reason or
another.
I don’t want that to be the case for you. Why? Because I
believe the dreams in your heart are God-given and are a part of His calling
for your life. A lot can change in 5 years Ecclesiastes 5:3 says, “A dream
comes about with much business and painful effort.”
Psalm 62:5 says, “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for
my expectation is from Him.” This is telling us that the dream he is expecting
is from God. What has God told you? What’s the dream that He has given you?
Whatever it is, then don’t let go of it. If God is the one who birthed it in
you then He wants it to be fulfilled.
When you “know that you know” that He is the One who caused
this expectation to be birthed in you, then in your mind, there is no turning
back! No matter what anybody else thinks, says or does; you hold fast to what
you believe.
You might be thinking “But
how can I know if the dream I’m expecting is from God?”
Here are 7 Keys:
1. If it
captures your imagination and inspires and motivates you every day of your
life, then it is most likely a dream from God.
2. If it
seems impossible and you are unable to fulfill it on your won, then it is
most likely a dream from God.
3. If it
seems as though it will never come to pass but deep down on the inside you’re
unwilling to give up on it, then it is most likely a dream for God.
4. If not
everyone is as enthusiastic about it as you are, then it is most likely a
dream from God.
5. If you
have experienced resistance, setbacks, difficulty and sometimes even
frustration over it, then it is most likely a dream from God.
6. If it
seems to consume your thinking and even seems to get bigger and bigger on
the inside of you, then it is most likely a dream from God.
7. If it
seems to define and shape your life, then it is most likely a dream from
God.
So where do I begin? Well, what’s your routine? You are a
creature of habit. Every day you do many things the exact same way without even
thinking about it. After doing these habits for years you continue to make
these choices without even thinking about it.
It’s not until you stop and think about what you want to do
with the rest of your life that things will start to change. You must make
decisions that will lead to and support the goals you want to achieve.
How do you know if your choices are leading you to your
dreams? Look at the results! A lot can happen in 5 years or nothing can change
in 5 years!
Imagine it’s 5 years from now. Ask yourself what if? Allow yourself
to dream. If you are going to achieve your dreams, you will need a coach, a
mentor, a minister to consistently speak truth to you. Don’t let just anyone
have a voice in your life.
Proverbs 13:20 tells us, “He who walks with wise men will be
wise but a companion of fools will be destroyed.” It is important to spend time
with people you want to become like. You may not personally know people who are
the success you want to become, but you can spend time with them through their
books, videos, and audio teaching.
No matter what your dream is: to get out of debt, to see
your marriage restored, to be healed physically or emotionally, to have a baby,
to publish a book, to run for office, to open your business, etc. – it will
require intense focus. Are you willing to pay the price when it becomes hard
work?
Never quit the fight! Pursuing your dream will require a
fight. Determine that your going to finish strong. The truth is life is an
assignment. You are here by assignment. You have been assigned a mission!
See beyond today. My mission is to provide the tools and the
teaching to show people how to live the answer. To teach them how to overcome
their circumstances and live a blessed life.
My mission keeps me focused. Seeing beyond today helps me
set goals and know where I’m going. My mission empowers me to dream and ask, “what
if” questions.
“If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” – B.J. Marshall
Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people
perish.”
I am making it a habit to write down all the possibilities
and dreams I see while spending quiet time with the Lord. There is great power
released when you write the vision. (Habakkuk 2:2)
Another powerful step you must take is to sow beyond today.
This is a profound principle: You may not have what you need but you’re never
without the seed that will produce it!
Seed represents your future.
Galatians 6:7 tells us that a man’s harvest in life depends entirely
upon the seeds that he sows. When a farmer sows seed, he knows exactly what he’s
sowing the seed to produce. There’s a picture on the package – that’s his
vision.
The next 5 years can be the most exciting, rewarding,
productive years of your life or just another 5 years. You have a God-given
dream, a mission, an assignment, a destiny to fulfill. Take the necessary steps
and begin to move in the right direction.