Our whole world is built on dreams. From the car you drive to the electronic device in your hand, all of it was made and designed because someone had a big dream. Someone had the idea to start a company or organization. And we're all the benefactors of their hard work.
But CEOs and business workers aren't the only ones with big dreams. Dreams are inside us. Longing to come out--longing to be free. Sometimes we're just afraid to let them out. But God put dreams inside us for a reason. We were made to be creative and dream big dreams. But are we too afraid to let them out?
After years of battling anxiety, I was finally able to see the light of day after finding a relationship with Jesus. And with it, I felt like I was finally able to dream again. I had big, wild ideas. One of my crazy dreams was to fly across the country to Atlanta, Georgia, to visit a church called Passion City. Even from thousands of miles away, this church had become a huge part of my story. I watched their services online, and they're the reason I found Jesus. So I thought it would be incredible to visit this place in person. I mean, it had felt like home for so long.
I wanted to meet the people that God used to change my life. I wanted to be in an atmosphere of worship. I wanted to see this place face-to-face. But it felt like there was no possible way to get there. I was just a high school kid without an income. Although it felt impossible, I kept praying that this dream could become a reality. For a while, I felt silly having a dream this big. It felt crazy, but I wouldn't let anything stop me.
After more than four years of trying to pursue this dream, it finally became a reality. Earlier this year, I was on an airplane headed across the country for a conference at Passion City Church. I met the people that God had used to change my life.
I felt the presence of God like never before. Standing in a room full of people from all over the world, worshipping the same God, it all made sense. I wasn't crazy about having this dream. My heart felt alive in a way it never had before. It took four years, a couple of hundred dollars, and a whole lot of praying and planning, but it was all worth it. It felt like the culmination of a very long journey and the completion of a wild dream my heart had spent years hoping for.
Maybe you don't have to travel across the country to see your dream come to fruition. Maybe you just need to head to the office and sign that business deal or go online and finally submit your college application. Whatever dream God has placed in your heart, I'm telling you, you're not crazy.
Your dream might seem crazy and audacious, but you're not crazy. If your aim is to bring God glory and bring beauty into the world, why not go for it? Author Bob Goff once said, "Go with what you've got. If God wants you to stay put, He'll let you know." It's that simple.
Chase after what God has put in your heart, even if you don't have all the answers yet. God will put you where you need to be. In my case, my dream took a lot of time and money to become a reality. That might be the case with you, too. So, start saving. Start planning. Take the first step and go for it. You might make some mistakes along the way, but that's okay. Learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward.
Here are three songs that I hope encourage you to keep dreaming. No matter who you are or where you're at in life, you can pursue the mad dreams that are burning inside your heart. And when you do, you'll see God in a new, beautiful way.
Jon Foreman, "The Ocean Beyond The Sea"
"Where do these dreams come from, and what makes them come to life?" Jon Foreman, lead singer of the rock band, Switchfoot, asks at the beginning of his documentary, 25 in 24. "Do they happen to you, or do you happen to them? Maybe dreams are best with your eyes wide open--wide awake. Define your dreams well because one day, your dreams will define you. Out beyond the horizon, the dream calls you further. Beyond the shore. Out into the deep waters. The places that scare you. The dream calls out to that part of you that you've never met before. Beyond logic. Beyond fear. Beyond the sea."
Not too long ago, Jon Foreman set out one morning with the goal to play 25 concerts in 24 hours. It was his wild ambition--one that seemed impossible. But with the help of his friends and community, he saw it come to fruition, and it turned out to be more beautiful and life-giving than anyone could have imagined.
A couple of cameras followed his journey, and it turned into a stunning documentary. Jon's quote comes from that documentary. It always strikes a chord in me every time I hear it. Jon chased the crazy dream that he had. Why don't we? Why don't we chase after the ambitions in our hearts instead of just thinking about them? Why don't we go out into the deep waters? Beyond our fears?
Several years after the 25 in 24 journey, Jon Foreman released a song from the documentary called, "The Ocean Beyond the Sea." The song is cinematic, and the lyrics are full of vivid imagery. The song's main idea is that there's something more--there's an ocean beyond the sea.
The song taps into the quote at the beginning, the idea that we were meant to go farther than the shore. We were meant to go into the deep waters. That begs the question: how far are you willing to go with God? Are you willing to go out into the deep waters? Do you dare to step out into the unknown, to the places that scare you? It may feel risky, but there's nothing to risk.
Author and pastor Louie Giglio says it this way, "In the end, there is nothing to risk. Just everything to gain. Why play it safe? Why sleepwalk when the Spirit of the living God is wide awake? You only get one shot, a brief few seconds to make your life count. It's your move."
Will you dare to move outside of your comfort zone and trust that God will bring you into something beautiful? I'm telling you, chase after your dreams. Don't merely stand on the water's edge. There's a beautiful world out there, and your dreams lie beyond the sea. Your wildest ambitions are in your heart for a reason. You have nothing to lose, just everything to gain.
"There's a highway beyond the road/Beyond where power is bought and sold/And the rich man could never find it/By the ocean beyond the sea."
Ben Rector, "Dream On"
So you decide to make the leap. You step out into the deep waters, but then you start to sink. Life doesn't go the way you planned, and you're wondering where you should go next. Your heart is full of dreams, so you try, but nothing happens. Not the way you planned, anyway. What do you do then? Do you just give up? I think there's a better way: you dream on.
When things aren't working out, you may need to pivot. Some things may need to change, and your dream might need to look a little different from what you had originally anticipated. But no matter what happens, don't give up. Don't settle for anything less than the best that God has in store for you. Keep dreaming and keep believing in the impossible.
My favorite verse in the Bible is Matthew 19:26, which says, "Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'" Jesus knew that we would face doubt, and we'd look at all our goals and ambitions and think they were impossible. But right there in the red letters of the Bible, He gently reminds us that everything is possible with Him. I think we just need to be the ones who are brave enough to keep dreaming.
Alternative recording artist Ben Rector has a song on his new album, The Joy of Music called "Dream On," and it taps into this idea. The first verse says, "Do you ever get scared?/Do you ever get sad?/Did you forget the childhood dreams that you had?/Hoped it'd be better, but things turned out bad/And all went wrong." I think we've all been there before. The big dreams that we had turned out to be different than what we anticipated. But the chorus goes on to say, "Dream on/Dream on/Even when you're afraid all your dreams may be gone/Just dream on/Dream on/When the world says you're crazy just tell them they're wrong and dream on."
Life sometimes won't go your way, but you have a choice. You can either give up or dream. With God, everything is possible. So, no matter what life may throw at you, keep your focus. Remember the One who makes all things possible and keep dreaming.
"Dream on/Dream on/Even when you're afraid all your dreams may be gone/Just dream on/Dream on/When the world says you're crazy just tell them they're wrong and dream on."
for KING & COUNTRY, "To the Dreamers"
The Bible doesn't necessarily talk about dreams, but it does talk a whole lot about 'calling'--and I think those two things go hand in hand. Jesus called many people, and when He did, they followed. What if the dreams burning inside of us are God's way of trying to get our attention?
Perhaps it's His subtle way of calling us to follow Him. When Jesus called his 12 disciples, they had no idea what was in store for them. And if you told them, they probably would've been scared. The future was uncertain and unknown, but they decided to risk everything to follow Jesus. The calling God placed on each of them was greater than any fear they may have had. The journey was difficult and painful at times, but the reward was beautiful. The reward was knowing Jesus Himself and the gift of eternal life at the end of the road.
What if we decided to push past our fears and follow Jesus? What if we decided to go where He's calling us? What if we decided to chase after our dreams? It sounds scary, and it's going to take a whole lot of trust to follow Jesus into the unknown as I talked about in last month's devotional. But the reward is worth it.
On the journey, Jesus is going to use every circumstance we come across to make us stronger. He'll use every trial and roadblock to get us to where we need to be. Jesus is beckoning us to come and follow Him.
Do you dare to step out and take His hand?
Contemporary Christian band for KING & COUNTRY has a song called "To the Dreamers," and it's an anthem for everyone who dares to dream big. The song's chorus is a powerful mantra, "To the dreamers, wide-eyed believers/Hanging onto hope by a thread/To the soulful, heart open hopeful/Keep on charging ahead." I challenge you to keep charging ahead.
Even when the road seems unknown, chase after your dreams. Chase after the callings God has placed in your heart. And if you're not yet sure what ambition God wants you to chase after, ask Him where He wants you to go. Live life with Him at a slow, steady pace. Abide with Him, and He'll direct your every step. To quote Bob Goff once more, "Keep dreaming, and don't be surprised when you find out God has been dreaming with you all along."
"To the dreamers, wide-eyed believers/Hanging onto hope by a thread/To the soulful, heart open hopeful/Keep on charging ahead/'Cause when you feel it, once you see it, and you breathe it, it's unforgettable/When you know it, once you know it, and you hold it, it's unforgettable."
Grace Chaves has been a fan of all things Christian music since 2016. She is NRT's news editor, and one of NRT's youngest writers. Homeschooled, Grace is an author, loves Jesus, concerts, and road trips.
NEW!BEHIND THE SONG
#1236 - Brandon Heath
Transforming wounds into stories of redemption in this powerful song
ADVERTISEMENT
NEW!NRT EDITORIAL
Skillet
We explores some of the band's best songs outside their hits
NEW!NRT LISTS
Jordan Merritt
A real conversation around the artist's new track, "Human"
NEW!HEARTSPEAK
Jordan Feliz
The artist's must-listen-to songs about faith, family, and redemption
NEW!AN NRT EXCLUSIVE
Rock Meets Worship
Seven gritty cover songs of popular worship music and hymns
