We all have dreams.
We have big ones, small ones, long-term and short-term ones. The ability to dream is an intrinsic gift that God placed inside each of us so we live with vision and purpose that allows for us to propel for the long haul.
But dreams are also discouraging and hard. They’re messy and unpredictable. They’re uncomfortable and sometimes unexplainable, and they come with so many uncontrollable variables that we can’t foresee or prepare for. We know they’re there… burning inside our hearts… swirling around in our minds…. wrestling with our decisions and forcing us to get UNcomfortable with our comfort…. but oh the ache.
I realize Mark 4:14-20 is about people and our representation within the Kingdom, but I believe this passage can be read from the perspective of a dreamer too.
#1. Just because you plant something and it doesn’t take off, it doesn’t mean the dream is wrong. It might just mean the ground was hardened and the timing was wrong.
#2. Just because you tried a dream once, and it slightly flourished… but then flickered out, it doesn’t mean the dream is dead nor that God doesn’t want you to try, try again.
#3. Just because you pursued your dream once or twice (or more) with all attempts producing different outcomes that were unspeakably hard, it doesn’t mean you should let your thoughts run wild, or allow the enemy to lead you to believe it’s over. If you’re not careful, it will be your own doubt that leads to the dream’s definitive demise.
Sometimes the pursuit of the dream requires a FOURTH attempt. And in that fourth attempt you can apply the collective hard earned lessons of all other “failed” attempts in order to confidently know this:
That’s what it’s all about:
i. The right ground / right time.
ii. The discipline of the long-haul mentality.
iii. The right motive / right perspective / right placement of confidence.
And then and only then will your maturity be ready to handle:
iv. The wildest part of the dream.
#1. “The farmer plants the Word. Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them.
#2. And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm. But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.
#3. The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it.
#4. But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams.”
We all have dreams.
Maybe right now is the time to embrace your wildest.
