On page 74 of his book The Hope Quotient, Ray Johnston wrote the following statement: Jesus was not focused on what people were like. He was focused on what they could become. It doesn’t matter if we’re five, fifty or ninety, if we’re still walking on this earth, God’s not done with us yet. I believe He desires every one of us to have a purpose here on earth—a dream or goal—that will glorify Him. I’m sure that seems confusing at times—I know it is for me. How do we know the dream inside us comes from God? According to Mr. Johnston (page 84), three good questions can reveal a lot:
- Is your dream God-honoring?
- Will this dream change lives and influence people?
- Does this dream resonate with godly, visionary people?
I believe with everything I hold dear, that writing is the dream God put on my heart. And even so, I’m not sure I can answer “yes” to each of these three questions. Is my dream God-honoring? It is if my motivation is pure—and I’m not in it to glorify me. I know when I first thought of becoming a writer, it certainly wasn’t to glorify Him. But through the years, He’s put me through the thresher on several occasions. Does that mean my focus is now purely on Him? Depends on the day, the hour, and sometimes the minute. Pride and self-aggrandizement tends to leak in on occasion and I’m back to square one.
Will this dream change lives and influence people? How can any one of us answer that question when it comes to our dreams? Of course, we hope it does, and that’s often my prayer. But it seems a little arrogant to assume what we do will change lives. It can, but I don’t believe the power to do so lies with us. I do what I’m called to. God does with it what He chooses.
Does this dream resonate with godly, visionary people? I believe so, but who do I use as a barometer for this? My pastor? My husband? My agent? Would God put a dream on our hearts if He didn’t intend for it to resonate with His followers? I doubt it.
I think Ray Johnston’s main point in all this is that we do something with our lives that takes some hard work and initiative—and has a purpose beyond what we achieve for ourselves. Almost any profession, whether it’s a writer, doctor, teacher or construction worker, has the power to answer “yes” to these questions. It’s not what we do, but how we do it. But if we have no dream, no goal—no purpose—to our lives, it may be time for some re-evaluating.
If there isn’t a dream in your heart, I urge you to seek God’s wisdom. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. James 1:5-6
