by Marilyn W Lathrop

Created on: March 02, 2011   Last Updated: March 03, 2011

God has big dreams for you, bigger than anything you can imagine: Jeremiah 29:11

God speaks to you about these dreams through:

1) His Word...

2) Through dreams planted in your heart. God has given you a dream. Perhaps you have forgotten it because it seemed impossible, impractical, foolish, childish; someone made fun of it or pointed out that it was impossible, impractical, childish or foolish or maybe you simply got busy with something else and put it off. If you don't know what dream He has given you, ask Him to show you.

3) Through other people. We are called to encourage one another. Sometimes we actually manage to do this! Someone may have pointed out that you are especially talented at something; someone may have suggested that you do a particular something for which that person sees you as especially gifted. Maybe, like me, you felt it was beyond your ability or you felt, like me, as though you didn't deserve it. Well, of course it is beyond your ability and of course you don't deserve it. That's what God's unmerited favor is...His Grace is something we don't deserve! Your lack of ability or that you don't deserve it are irrelevant! It's all about God working through you, you keeping your eyes on Him and doing the impossible....like Peter walking on the water.

4) Through how you were made. Each of us are given abilities, talents, tendencies. The hyper-active person can view this quality as a problem or he can view it as an opportunity. Your uniqueness is a doorway for you. Think of Temple Grandin who is autistic, yet she has achieved greatness in taking her unique qualities and applying them in a way nobody without her "problem" could have foreseen as possible. The "faults" and talents you've been given are clues to what God has dreamed for you. Even addictions are clues...in being addicted to Jesus, we will find ourselves doing just fine, Ephesians 5:18.

5) Through what interests or pleasures you. Often we think of pleasure as evil, but pleasure is not evil. God has created all things for us to enjoy, I Timothy 6:17. Will we enjoy them or turn them into idols? There is the crux of the issue of pleasure. Perhaps writing poetry gives you pleasure-that pleasure is a clue to what God has dreamed for you. Pursue your pleasure with your eyes on Jesus and you will achieve what God has dreamed for you.

Timothy Ferriss writes in his book, "The 4-Hour Workweek," "What is the opposite of happiness? Sadness? No. Just as love and hate are two sides of the same coin,

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