God-Sized Dreams

I am reading through Christine Caine’s Unshakeable devotional this year. One of the days was about walking by faith and believing that the gaps between our abilities and our dreams are the spaces for God to move. She posed the following question: If your goals are achievable without God, are they even from God?

I have thought a lot about this question since reading it and I still don’t have a solid answer. It reminds me of another phrase I have heard: If your dreams don’t require God, they are too small. This phrase seems to indicate that the size of our faith will be reflected in the size of our dreams.

I do believe God gives us dreams that he wants to help us accomplish. Not all dreams have to be so big that they are impossible to do without a miracle. However, most dreams should involve prayer and God’s guidance to be accomplished well. I think we are responsible to do the work required of us in order for God to make up the difference or to work in our hearts to equip us to achieve them.

I definitely have dreams that I cannot achieve solely through hard work or sheer will. There are mountains that need to move and doors that need to open for which I don’t have the strength or resources. Yes, I believe God can do what is needed to accomplish my dreams. Sometimes I wonder if the root issue is how I would answer the question: What if he doesn’t?

What if my dreams never become reality? Will I still believe God is good and loving and faithful? I wonder if part of the reason for our God-sized dreams is for the purpose of simply drawing us closer to God, learning to seek him and rely on him, and trusting him despite the circumstances or outcomes.

I think God’s goal for us is love, trust, and dependence. Often, seemingly impossible dreams may be the vehicle he uses to get us there. A dream achieved could grow our faith in him. A dream deferred could lead us to cling even more to God. Gods ways are unknowable but he is faithful, loving, and trustworthy.

Do you think small dreams show a lack of faith? Do you have a dream that is impossible without God?