Your Dreams and God’s Destiny
When my grandson was six years old, I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. He sat up confidently and answered me, “I want to be like Chad Hennings and play in the NFL. During the week I will be a spy like James Bond.” Chad is a retired football player from the Dallas Cowboys and has a strong faith in God.
I smiled and told my grandson, “God has big plans for you, and I know you will be great at whatever you decide.”
When I was young, a woman asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I immediately answered, “Pollyanna.” (I even asked my mother if I could change my name to Pollyanna! Good thing she didn’t let me!) In the movie Pollyanna, Hailey Mills played a courageous girl who helped other people solve their problems, even when they treated her badly. My motive at the time was to be good, kind, and encourage people like Pollyanna. When I gave this answer, the lady laughed at me and patted my head, indicating she did not think my dream was realistic. At that moment, I learned not to discourage anyone in their dreams.
It’s important to have dreams. God still has dreams for you, no matter your age.
“Many are the plans in the mind of man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” Proverbs 19:2 ESV
Did you have a dream of what you wanted to be when you grew up, but life led you in a different direction? In that process, maybe you gave up on your dream due to unforeseen circumstances or negative influences in your environment. Maybe people said things that made you question if your dreams were possible.
My life today is not the way I thought it would be. As a child, I had a hunch of what God’s plan was for me. I always wanted to help people. I didn’t become a licensed nurse, counselor, or psychologist, but God often uses me in these ways.
I became a wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and writer. In these roles, I counsel my family, friends, and even strangers as best I can through the Holy Spirit. When I was a little girl, I never dreamed of being a wife, (boys were yucky), mother, (I hardly ever played with dolls), or counselor. I certainly did not think I would become a writer, nor did my English teachers! But God did.
“For He carries out what is destined for me, And many such destinies are with Him.”
Job 23:14 NASB
The important thing to understand is God’s destiny is unique to you—and it doesn’t look like anyone else’s destiny.
Recently I was reading a book by a wonderful Christian woman. In her book she explains the difficulty of growing up with rejection and insecurities that followed her into adulthood. Because of her insecurities, she wanted to become exactly like a woman she admired. After years of being miserable, the author received revelation from the Lord. Instead of emulating her friend, she began seeking God’s destiny for herself. As she did this, she became fulfilled and joyful. God’s destiny for her surpassed what she could have imagined. Today, women are drawn to her because she shines the light of Christ.
What if you lose heart and decide your dream is not going to be fulfilled and instead focus on trying to be like someone else that you admire? You copy their laugh, how they speak, their walk, or almost anything they do or have. This can happen at any age. If this is happening in your life, did you know you are making an idol of that person?
If your goal is to be like someone else, you will never be fulfilled. When we make people into idols, we worship a false god and find ourselves unsatisfied and longing for peace and joy. Therefore, do not define yourself by copying another. God’s destiny for you is as unique as your DNA. You are set apart. Be authentic and original. Embrace the real you and let the real you out.
“You have been set apart as holy to the Lord your God, and He has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be His own special treasure.”
Deuteronomy 14:2 NLT
My dreams changed from what I thought my life would be, but I know God has His hand on my life and is leading me daily by the Holy Spirit. I want to do everything I can to live the destiny God created for me.
The Lord wants you to be who He created you to be and fulfill His plans for you. Are you willing to fight the enemy, return to your dream, and believe again? First you must surrender your dreams to God, listen carefully for His direction, and follow His plans for your life.
Let’s pray:
Lord, Scripture tells me You will instruct me and teach me in the way I should go. You will counsel me with Your eye upon me. Open my eyes if I am trying to copy someone else because of my insecurities. Forgive me for not trusting in You for who You created me to be. I will not allow others to define me; only You. Thank You for Your mercy and grace for what I have tried to be, and I look forward to being all that You desire in me. “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it” (Psalm 139:14 NLT). Amen.
