The Problem with a God-given Dream

Brian Burchik —  February 20, 2013

Deep in our hearts, God reveals desires, goals, and aspirations. Maybe it’s to start a company, to write a book, or lead a church. There are dreams woven into the fabric of who we are, the desires of our hearts.

But there is one big problem with God-given dreams. He asks for them back. Consider Abraham. God calls him away from his home and promises to make him into a great nation, with as many descendants as stars in the sky.

A Kid's Sunday morning at the Beach!!

God provides the means for this dream, as he gives Abraham and Sarai a son named Isaac. In their old age, this couple watched God do a miracle. The dream was in motion.

Years passed, and then God does the unspeakable. He calls Abraham to sacrifice his own son. Yes, that means killing his boy, and killing the dream of fathering a nation as well. God had the audacity to ask Abraham for his dream back.

Can you imagine what ran through Abraham’s mind? “God, You are the one that gave me my son in the first place. You can’t take him now! I’ve invested my whole life in this. This is my dream. Are you crazy!”

Maybe God has gifted you to be a great musician, and you sense His calling to go on tour, sharing your music with the world. Perhaps God called you to use your entrepreneurial skills to launch a new business. Maybe you’re a pastor, and God has given you a vision for leading thousands of people into a community of faith, hope, and love.

No matter how certain you are that God inspired your dream, you have to hand it back to him. No matter how good and pure the desire is, there comes a time to surrender it. Just like Abraham had to put his own son back on the altar, so we must release our God-given dream back to the One who gave it.

Why? Without this kind of surrender, our dream will become the thing we hope and long for, while God slips to the background. Our dream can’t become our hope. Only God occupies that role.

For the entrepreneur, this means letting go and saying to God, “I’ll go scrub toilets if that’s what you want.” For the pastor, it might sound like “I’ll lead faithfully with however many you bring, even if it’s less than I envisioned.” For the aspiring artist, it’s relinquishing the need to make it big and famous.

Most of us know the rest of Abraham’s story. At the last moment, God stops him from making the sacrifice. His son was spared, and the dream to father a nation lived on too.

Are you in the middle of living out a God-given dream? Are you frustrated by the slow progress? Overwhelmed by the magnitude of it? Is your hope fading because you haven’t seen it fulfilled?

Remember the words of Psalm 37:4 – “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” It says delight in God, not delight in the dream God gave you.

Stay patient, persevere, and draw near to God –In His timing, dreams are made realities. #LiveFully

Brian Burchik

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This post was by Brian, a leader seeking to know the "why" behind the "how"

3 responses to The Problem with a God-given Dream

  1. Great words Brian! This is such a challenging truth, but so necessary, to think God gives me something simply so that I can give it back to him! Otherwise I’d soon be consumed by my own desires rather than desiring God. The object of our delight is what it’s all about – not the dream, but the God that gives them to you simply so you can enjoy him even more!
    This was a great word for me today. Thanks! 🙂

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