Dream. As a verb it means "to contemplate the possibility of doing something." Dreaming would seem like a fundamental part of our way of life based on the plethora of affirmations we have to do so. "Make your dreams come true" is practically a cultural slogan, or at least it seemed like it growing up. Rags to riches stories and tales of the seemingly impossible coming to fruition have been all over the place in books, shows and movies. They inspire us, plucking on a particular heart string that longs for greatness and hopes to witness things of grandeur.
Growing up, dreaming was so effortless and fluent. You'd see the world or your life for what it was, contemplate how it should be and that contrast of two realities produced a vision. There was no doubt, no sense of limitations, only that there were things that needed to be done, leading us to vividly imagine what could be accomplished. One person could change the world, peace could be a reality and what was right could overcome wrong.
I don't know how or when, but something happened to me. Maybe it happened to you too. Without realizing it, I stopped dreaming, or at least dreaming big. Time and experience seemed to only breed doubt. The way things are began to drown out the cry of how it could be, like a thick smog covering a blue sky. Life became more about survival than revolutionary thriving. The really scary part is when you start to believe that the way things are is an infallible reality that can't get much better, if at all. "We've always done it this way" becomes a motto of our lives. I'm twenty-seven and just now realizing that in the midst of adult life, I'd relinquished somewhat, my childish ability to dream.
Now, as human beings this is tricky because we all probably have experienced the utter disappointment of a dream that didn't seem to come true, which makes us hesitant to ever dream again. As a Christian, there's an added element that sometimes can be misunderstood to oppose the ideal of dreaming. God is in control. Nations rise and fall by His plan (Acts 17:26). My life-story is written by the Divine Author whose manuscript leads to the perfection of my faith (Hebrews 12:2). I find those truths are a tremendous source of comfort and stability amidst the constantly shifting trends of life. But, I find that perhaps I've allowed myself to stop dreaming in some ways or seeking grander vision as a misapplication of those theological truths. Unconsciously thinking, "if everything goes according to the good will of my Heavenly Father, why dream at all. Just wait and see what happens and everything will be fine."
You know what I realized? The problem is not a loss of ability to dream, but laziness. I can only speak for myself, but yes, laziness is what stops the flow of dreams because, to cast a compelling dream demands that one pursues it. It beckons us to devote ourselves to the work of bringing that which is depicted in our minds to life. That's hard work! Fear, doubt, "logic" and "the way things are" confront us, presenting the difficulty of fulfilling such dreams. And when faced with the cost of pursuing what should be, we all too often fold. As a Christian, I've found that we can even disguise that kind of attitude as "trusting in God". But all we're doing is going with the mediocre flow down a lazy river masked with christian lingo.
What would it be like if we dreamed? If we saw the unfortunate way that so much in our world is and instead of simply accepting them or just complaining about them, we engaged them in revolutionary ways? What if we pursued the way it should be regardless of the things that make present realities seem unchangeable?
Now, please understand, that doesn't mean that we are taking things into our own hands, no longer trusting in the Lord. When we pursue the visions God has written for us in Scripture that become imprinted on our hearts, we are pursuing the ideals that God has declared are good. Justice, unity, reconciliation, integrity, peace, etc. In that pursuit we are allowing God to perfectly shape our dreams and trusting in His provision to enable us to accomplish that which He prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
Finally, why should we pursue that which the world deems as impossible? Because, only the reality and work of God adequately explains the fruition of such things. If the Church rises up amidst today's spiritual darkness, the "unlovable" would be loved, fears would be cast out, walls of division would be broken down and lives would be completely transformed. Throughout all of that, God would be revealed to the world. For accomplishing that which was once considered to be impossible is a miracle, and only God is really in the miracle business.
Think about it: what things do you see in the world around you that aren't the way they should be? How could we change it for the better according to God's Word? What's stopping you from pursuing that? What would it look like to pursue that dream? These are questions I have been thinking through as I consider the roles I have at work, in the church, at home, etc. It's a good thing to talk about, but may it become more than a stimulating discussion. My hope is that what we say and realize in our minds would be applied and materialized in our lives for the glory of God and the greater good.
