What is it that you want? OK…put THAT thought OUT of your mind…
What is it that God wants you to want? Is there a dream or desire in your life that is so huge that you can’t seem to shake it…but you also can’t seem to believe that it would ever happen?
God rocked my world this morning when I read I Chronicles 11:4-5, WOW!!! Basically David had became the king of Israel…but after becoming king he STILL had ambitions and dreams. (In other words—pastors, church leaders—our point of “arrival” is no where on this planet…as long as we are alive we need to pursue God sized dreams!)
SO…in this passage he goes after his dream—Jerusalem. (Yep, I definitely think God wanted him to pursue this!) The first thing he was told was, “You will never be able to do this.”
When we pursue God’s dreams—the first thing to happen is ALWAYS the naysayers who somehow find us and begin to tell us about all of the things that we cannot do!!! I know we had them at NewSpring when we first began…we were told our church would not work, that we would never be able to move into the Fine Arts Center at Anderson University, that we would never build a building, that I would never succeed as a pastor because I do not have a seminary degree…and the list could go on and on.
BUT…I would not let go of the dream!!! It wasn’t something I could let go…it was a passion that God had placed inside of me. I see that in David in this text—even though he was told by a group of people that his dream could not take place—it didn’t stop him. (By the way…I find it strange that the people who told him that the dream could not be accomplished didn’t know God!!!)
In verse five we see the dream accomplished…it worked. When we pursue God given dreams and inspirations with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength…GREAT THINGS HAPPEN. Please note that David didn’t sit around and PRAY about taking the city. (Too many Christians use prayer as an excuse for inactivity.) AND—he didn’t form a committee to study the problem! NO…he had a vision from God—and he pursued it.
Please keep in mind that people who have big dreams will always be attacked by others with small minds. If God TRULY places a dream and a passion inside of you—pursue it!!! And please do not tell me about how, “God closed a door & so I am going to give up.” If it is a dream BY GOD then, when the door closes then look for a window OR knock a hole in the flippin’ wall!!!
Don’t EVER give up on what you KNOW that God has placed in your heart—EVER!!!
The problem with many churches AND Christians is we have given up…we no longer have dreams…we just sit around and celebrate what God DID instead of looking forward to what God is WANTING to do! Seek God—ask Him for His dreams…and then HOLD ON, they WILL NOT BE SMALL!!!
And when that dream that you are pursuing happens—ask God for what’s next!!! His retirment plan for us includes a box under a lot of dirt…until that happens—PURSUE!!!
NewSpring…HOLD ON…God is getting ready to rev up the engine…the vision that will be presented this fall is larger than anything I’ve ever seen…and it’s going to happen…I can’t wait!!!
Two more things…
#1 - Mark Batterson hits another home run…GOT to read this!!!
#2 - Steven Furtick hits the nail on the head as well—DANG!!!