The Power of a God-powered, Man-partnered Dream

Have you ever dreamt something big, and saw it come to pass?

Well, it did for me.

I remember I was in Sec 3 (or was it 4?), when I happened to see the HP Technology Quiz being televised. I saw the various JCs duking it out on the stage. I was so wowed, because you see, before I gave my life back to Christ, I had this big dream of becoming a Nobel Prize-winning scientist, so that I could make my name remembered in history. :)

And the HP Technology Quiz! Ooh. A chance to get onto TV.

And I remember telling myself in my heart, "One day, I will be there on TV, in the same quiz."

And the funny thing is, I actually got onto TV, on the very same quiz the next year. :)

So that was the fulfillment of my dream. Well, it didn't exactly turn out the way I had hoped to... and thank God that He took away my old dreams and broke me slowly down. So that when I was empty enough, He might fill me up with new - and better - dreams.

But yes, surprising, isn't it? That's the power of a spoken dream.

"One day, I will get there..."

"One day, I will win this gold medal in the Olympics..."

"One day, I will do this..."

"One day, I will perform before an international audience..."

"One day, I will win a Nobel Prize..."

And I did get to take part in the quiz, and appear on TV. :) Hee. TH was there on the same team as me! :)

But after that, that was it. My popularity index didn't hit an all-high, etc. Life just went on. How is it for you too, dear friend? When you manage to accomplish your great dream... and then that's it?

When you dream to please yourself... you'll get humbled.
When you dream to please others... you'll be disappointed.

But when you dream to bless God's name, to build up His church, to be His hands and feet to serve and heal and comfort a world in pain... you'll never be put to shame.

1 Peter 2:6
For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."


So, speaking a dream, even to oneself, can bring about the actual fulfillment of that dream.

Since such is the power of a spoken dream, and the ability that God has given man to do such, then what's holding us back from having childlike faith that dares to dream big for God - and speak aloud?

If non-Christians can dream big dreams and see them come to pass... how much more we the children of God should dare to dream bigger dreams!

But of course, I'm not saying that if you speak it, it will surely come to pass. That's just not true. But yes, the tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat of its fruit.

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But what kind of dreams to dream then? Well, dream things according to God's will. "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." I think that's a pretty solid guideline to help us start dreaming towards to.

And who knows? Whatever noble dreams you have may actually be God Himself working in you.

Philippians 2:13 "for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."

Just talk to God about these dreams, and see what He says. If He approves, then you have all His promises and resources available, according to His good purpose. :) And as you partner with Him... you will see Him unfold great and wonderful things that you never imagined possible. Jeremiah 33:3

A dear friend shared with me about her dream to do speech therapy to bless society. God really honoured her request and opened doors for her. Out of 200 candidates, she was one of the 20 chosen. And she got a scholarship too! :)

Peter too had a desire to serve God in the media industry and be an entrepreneur to serve the church. God has also helped him, even though the road has been long. And as a bonus, a certain sister saw how Peter grew in his faith and character through the difficult months... and now she's Peter's wife. :)

And me? Haha... lots of interesting things happened, but the most important thing is that I see God really working actively in my life, wiring and threading events so wonderfully - just like a story! And why not? All the days of my life were written by Him before one of them came to be! God, the Master Storyteller. :D

And my dream to change the world has been not taken away, but redeemed. God took my old dream of winning a Nobel Prize so that I might seek not to make a name for myself anymore, but replaced it with a new dream: a dream to win souls for Christ... and to see with my own eyes a great multitude of redeemed souls that no one can count, from every nation, tribe, people and tongue! :)

So really want to encourage you, dear brothers and sisters, to start dreaming big for God if you haven't started yet. Don't let your fishing nets, your workplaces, your "safe zones" stop you from responding to Christ's call: "Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."

=)

Ephesians 3:20-21
God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!

Amen. :D We are ordinary people, but we have an extraordinary God! Amen!