I was sitting by the lake today with a friend while our children played. We spent the afternoon talking about our dreams and passions. I've thought about this a lot lately and realize how often we are held back by fear. Fear of judgment, fear of disappointment, and fear of failure. Many people have stopped dreaming altogether. Past hurts have them paralyzed. Dreams have been traded in for reality and responsibility.
We all feel the pressures of a full life as parents who stay at home, parents who work outside the home, newlyweds, grandparents, or students in school. We all fill unique roles and it seems we are all busy. Our days are filled and often times, we don’t stop to dream. We go from one day into the next and life seems to be going okay. But, are we living with purpose? Are we living with passion? Are we using our passions to live a life for God? Do we even remember what makes us feel alive?
This week in the car, I heard this quote from Francis Chan, “Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.” These words rang loud in my ears.
Our time here on earth is so short. I want my dreams, my time, and my decisions to be made in light of eternity. So often, we focus on things that don’t really matter. We get caught up in the today of our life and lose sight of important truths. I know I've spent too much time worrying about insignificant things. If the truth be told, I will likely waste time in my future as well. We fear failure and we let others opinions hold us back, but our most important question should be if we are living for what matters. We all need to take time to dream. We need to seek what God has planned for our life. We must let go of the world’s opinions and standards and live in His glory.
In Jennie Allen’s book Restless, she shares the following, “Paul wrote, “If I were still trying to please men I would not be a servant of Christ” ( Gal. 1: 10) . Western mentality has shaped our views of work and success and calling so deeply that it is difficult to shake the idea of pleasing and impressing other people. God is asking us to get over it.”
As we head into a new year, let’s make time to dream and to live passionately for Him. Let's not allow fear to paralyze us anymore. Let's dare to live for what matters, even when it's hard.