Dreaming the Dream

Each year when New Year's Day rolls around, many of us find ourselves setting goals or resolutions for the new year. Lose weight, be on time for work, hit the gym three times a week, reduce yelling at the kids by 25 percent weekly and never yell on Sundays—the list goes on. Those might all be worthwhile goals, but we seriously need to ask ourselves: Am I thinking too small? Am I living the "just get by" plan, or is there a greater God-dream that, if lived to the fullest, could permeate and inform every move I make?

In Dare to Dream you will seek to discern God's purpose for your life, and you will create a life mission statement based on it. You might ask, "How will I recognize my God-dream when I see it?

As an example of a God-dream, let's take a look at the story of Jacob in the Old Testament. Jacob eventually became a wealthy, successful businessperson in the field of animal husbandry. In Genesis 28, however, he was on the lam (pun intended). Actually, Jacob had just deceived his elderly father Isaac into giving him the inheritance intended for his older brother Esau. Understandably, Esau was unhappy about his brother's deception, so their parents sent Jacob to stay with extended family for his own safety. We read, starting in Genesis 28:10, that Jacob left Beer-sheba and set out for Haran, about a 750-mile trip. Keep in mind that 750 miles was a significant journey in a time without any kind of motorized transportation.

As the night approached, Jacob stopped at a nondescript place, which the Scripture doesn't even give a name. Jacob took a stone lying nearby and placed it under his head in an attempt to sleep. This would certainly be the ideal setup for a night of restless sleep. Do you ever have restless nights? Note that God often uses restlessness in our lives to get our attention and create change, especially when we find ourselves in a difficult situation. In his sleep, Jacob dreamed that he saw a stairway resting on the earth, its top reaching to heaven, with angels ascending and descending on it. In practical terms that dream doesn't make much sense. We know logically that there are no staircases or ladders connecting earth and heaven. But think about your dreams. How many of those at first don't seem to make sense?

In verses 13 and 14, Jacob saw God standing on the staircase, promising Jacob and his descendants the land on which Jacob was resting. God also promised that Jacob's offspring would become as numerous as the "dust of the earth" and that God would protect Jacob, never leaving him until the promise was fulfilled. Genesis 28:16-17 describes Jacob's reaction:

When Jacob woke from his sleep, he thought to himself, The LORD is definitely in this place, but I didn't know it. He was terrified and thought, This sacred place is awesome. It's none other than God's house and the entrance to heaven.

As he did for Jacob, God has created for each of us a unique part to play in his creative plan. God is trying to get our attention so we can live that plan, and God will not leave us until the plan is fulfilled in our lives. That is what I call "living the dream," and it is what I am experiencing in my own life. I am living God's dream for me, and I don't want you to miss yours! Life is too short.

So Jacob had this crazy dream with staircases and angels, but it did have a point. Because of the dream, Jacob realized that God was a powerful presence to whom Jacob had previously been oblivious. Jacob then knew that God was with him.

Maybe your "crazy" dreams also have a point. I believe our dreams may be the narrowest crossing between heaven and earth, between spiritual and physical, between supernatural and natural. In early Christian and Jewish traditions, people didn't believe that heaven and earth were far away but existed right next to each other. Dreams provide a bridge between our conscious and subconscious. Because of the busyness and noise of our daily routines and concerns, our subconscious most often comes into play when we are asleep. Through dreams, we can begin to see to the other side.

Of course, God also can speak to us through visions when we are awake. Let's take a look at Acts 9:10-12:

In Damascus there was a certain disciple named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, "Ananias!" He answered, "Yes, Lord." The Lord instructed him, "Go to Judas' house on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias enter and put his hands on him to restore his sight."

It's interesting how specific this vision is. Have you ever been sitting in your house watching TV or totally engrossed in what you were doing, only to have a person's name pop into your head? There's a chance that such thoughts may come from God. If the thought is good or appropriate, then I believe it's from God. I know that whenever it happens to me, no matter how involved I am in what I am doing, I need to get up and call that person or take the action that God has brought to mind. These types of experiences are visions. It's the Holy Spirit moving, and there is nothing more important for me to do at that moment than respond. God speaks through dreams when we are asleep, and God speaks through visions when we are awake.

My goal in the pages ahead is to awaken the God-dream in you and unlock the gift of what it means to live that dream—a dream that honors God, blesses others, and brings you joy.

Discovering Your Birthright

When God puts a dream inside you, it's not just for you. A God-dream will honor God and bless other people in tangible ways. It's your birthright. Let's explore how we discover our birthright as we lean fully into the purpose for which we've been created.

We talked in Chapter 1 about Jacob and his dream. In the dream he saw a staircase, or ladder, with angels going up and down. Most important, though, was what Jacob saw at the top of the ladder. It was God. Stop for a moment and ask yourself what's at the top of your ladder. Your life dreams will be limited by the ceiling of your life pictures. What limitations are your life pictures placing on you?

Let's continue Jacob's story:

After Jacob got up early in the morning, he took the stone that he had put near his head, set it up as a sacred pillar, and poured oil on the top of it. He named that sacred place Bethel. (Genesis 28:18-19)

At that point, God had really gotten Jacob's attention, and Jacob was beginning to recognize his God-dream. Jacob then made a promise to God:

"If God is with me and protects me on this trip I'm taking, and gives me bread to eat and clothes to wear, and I return safely to my father's household, then the LORD will be my God. This stone that I've set up as a sacred pillar will be God's house, and of everything you give me I will give a tenth back to you." (vv. 20-22)

I love God's patience. Did you notice all "ifs" and "buts" implied in Jacob's response? The Lord would be his God if Jacob was protected, got food to eat and clothes to wear, made it back to his father in one piece, and on and on. There were so many conditions to his commitment! To move forward, Jacob...