3 Questions to Help You Discover Your God-Given Dreams

by, Alycia W. Morales

In December of 2009, I stood in my bedroom folding clothes, tears streaming down my face. I was having what you could call a mid-life crisis. At the age of 35. (I hope that isn't my mid-life - I'd like to live to be 100.) I wasn't enjoying life at that time. As the author of Proverbs puts it, "All was vanity." There wasn't any holy in my common. I rose, I saw my husband off to work, the kids off to school, and I went through the daily routine of cleaning and cooking and doing whatever needed to be done that day. I read the Word of God, and I prayed. But my spirit was empty.

So I cried some more. "Lord, what do you want me to do for You? I have the talents You've given me. But what do I do with them? Because I certainly don't want to bury them."

Thankfully, God answers me. "Write for Me."

My childhood dream was to write for Bop or Teen Beat.  Or maybe Seventeen. I wanted to write for magazines. Since I loved music and dreamed of being in a movie, I wanted to interview celebrities. (And I won't tell you how many times I entered YM's annual model search contest.) I've journaled since I was eight. I wrote teenage angst poems all through high school and college. Writing has always been therapeutic for me.

And I've been reading since Kindergarten. Avidly. Across genres. Fiction and non-fiction.

So when God said to write for Him, it didn't surprise me one bit. Because writing is something I'm passionate about and love to do. It's something I've dreamed of doing since I was a child.

I have a few questions for you:

What is it that you've always dreamed of doing, but maybe you've put it on a shelf? This isn't the time. I can't afford it. No one thinks I can do it. 

These are all cues that God has put that dream inside of you, because the enemy would love to see you bury your talent and forget about it. Why? Because God designed that talent for a purpose - to multiply His kingdom. And He gave you a specific talent for a specific use. Sure, your friend may be just as good at the same thing, or better, but she isn't you. You have just what God needs.

What is one thing you could do today to take that talent out and begin to multiply it? 

This doesn't have to cost a lot of money. I'm not talking about going back to school or buying a store or anything huge. I'm talking about a small step. A beginning to turn up the soil so that you can plant a seed. Maybe you  need to head over to Hobby Lobby and pick up some art supplies. Maybe you need to buy a book about writing. Maybe you need to pull your cello out of storage. Maybe you need to start praying for your children for fifteen minutes a day. Maybe you need to save ten dollars a week and do a fundraiser so you can go on that mission trip.

Who do you know who can help you reach toward that dream?

This person should be someone who will encourage you, someone you trust. It shouldn't be the negative Nelly who is always shooting down the positive. This shouldn't be the person who is afraid to take a leap of faith. This should be the person you know will stand by your side and hold you accountable to setting and reaching some goals. Contact this person. Tell them what you would like to do. Tell them your dream. And ask them to pray for you, to hold you accountable.

So many people leave their dream on a shelf and go through the daily grind in the name of responsibility. Sure, we all need a paycheck. We all need to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. But that urging inside of you that says you were made for more than this? That's God. And He's given you a big dream. And He can supply all you need to make it come to pass.

But it won't happen if you don't take it off the shelf, dust it off, and put your faith into action.

So I encourage you today to answer the three questions I asked and to do one small thing toward making that dream a reality.

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And then come tell us about it. Please leave a comment and let us know what your God-given dream is. And if you've taken a step of faith, let us know about that too.

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