“Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.” Ephesians 3:20 (TLB)
I stood in my kitchen surrounded by the debris of everyday life—dirty pots cluttered the countertops and the baby’s toys littered the linoleum—but inside, I was waltzing through a wonderland of future possibilities.
A new idea had just blossomed in my mind related to something I’d been dreaming about for a long time, and I felt full of joy and expectation. But as I considered my next steps, I heard an inner voice whisper, quiet but clear: Don’t get your hopes up.
Don’t get your hopes up. How often have we heard this advice from others? How often have we said it to ourselves?
Tamping down hope is appealing because we know all too well from past experience how painful disappointed hopes can be. Like a child shying away from a stove after having his fingers singed, we’re tempted to view our dreams from a distance, aiming to avoid further grief.
Emotionally, it’s the safest path, isn’t it? Perhaps. But deep down, I know that’s not how I want to live.
I want to be someone who lives with hope every day of my life, even if a specific situation doesn’t turn out the way I anticipated. I want to live with hope that God is good and that He is at work no matter how fragmented things appear. Hope that the dreams He planted in me are possible. Hope that He is bigger than my personal limitations, my lack of connections, or my remote location.
So, seductive as it is, I’m choosing to push the voice of pessimism away. I’m choosing to hope. I’m gathering my courage and believing the dream is possible. But even more importantly, I’m choosing to hope in God.
I’m clinging to the words of Ephesians 3:20, which tell us that “God…is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes” (TLB). Now that’s a different way of looking at life! How wonderfully challenging and convicting to know that we’re encouraged to expect more, not less!
How about you? Is there a dream in your heart that tiptoes out of hiding when the hubbub around you settles, like a shy mouse creeping out of its cubby hole when the house gets dark and quiet?
Do you shoo the dream away when the bright lights of “reality” blast on, seeming to shout, “That’s crazy! Who are you to think something like that could happen to you?”
I wonder…What would it feel like to let yourself dream? To believe that God really means it when He says He wants to do beyond what we can ask or imagine?
It might feel scary…But what if it also feels liberating and exhilarating? What if it feels like the gentle wind of the Holy Spirit breathing life into your soul? What if it feels like stepping into what you know you were made for?
Here’s one way to put your faith into practice through dreaming. Allow yourself to think about something you would love to see happen—it could be getting a job offer, finishing a creative project, being proposed to by your true love, or moving to a new city. Allow yourself to feel what it would be like to have this dream come true. Let the excitement bubble up. Taste the sweetness of a desire fulfilled. Envision announcing the good news to friends and family.
Then, hold that dream in open hands, offer it to God, and declare: “God, I trust You. I believe You when you say that, with You, nothing is impossible. I offer You my hopes and my heart, and I believe that You care about them and me. I want to glorify You by boldly dreaming big dreams while also surrendering myself to Your guidance. Whether You say ‘go’ or ‘let go,’ I will obey.”
Consider confessing this to God whenever doubt and cynicism try to creep in. Just like a loving parent, God really does want the best for you!
Let’s pray:
Father, You say that You can do more than what I can ask or imagine, so I know that hopeful imagining is one way to express my trust and hope in You. Right now, I worship you by getting my hopes up. When fears, foreboding, and the “common sense” of the world tell me that my dreams are ridiculous or frivolous, remind me that Your ways are higher than my ways. Lord, my heart is willing to make adjustments to my dream or even to receive a new dream altogether. I trust You to lead me on the best path. Thank You that no matter my circumstances, You are working all things for my good. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Evgenyatamanenko
Carina Alanson is a former professional counselor turned writer and artist who is passionate about helping women live with purpose and grow in their relationship with God. She lives in the subarctic town of Fairbanks, Alaska, where she enjoys cross-country skiing, watercolor painting, reading by the fire, and spending time with her husband, Paul, and long-awaited baby, Wesley. Visit carinaalanson.com to connect with Carina and get her free journaling workbook, How Do I Know if a Desire is From God? 5 Questions to Help You Decide, plus other resources for purposeful living. You can also connect with her on Instagram @carinaalanson and on Facebook @carinaalanson.
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