Dream! But Dream the Right Dream

A sermon I heard at Vineyard Church in Overland Park, KS given by Lead Pastor, Mark Warner sparked this post.

I live in a nation of Dreamers. Some dream of own a home, others of running their own business and still others dream of becoming rich. Dreaming of own a home, running a business or becoming wealthy in themselves are not necessarily wrong dreams to have. They become misguided when they become the focus of one's life. When the person wanting to obtaining them will do anything, even use other people, to make them happen.

Before I say anything else I want to say I believe God is not against us having a home, us having a business or us becoming wealthy. What He is against and is not in alignment with what He wants in our life if we are pursuing those things without including Him in the mix. 

By including God in the mix we allow Him to provide the opportunities for our achieving our dreams. We place our dreams under His control and when we have reached success of our dreams we have the opportunity to give Him the credit bringing glory to Him through our dream.

In the sermon Mark gave he gave the following five points, which came from the story in Genesis 39 about Joseph being in prison, about having your dream in it's proper place in your life.

1. God will be with you.

Genesis 39: 23 The head jailer gave Joseph free rein, never even checked on him, because God was with him; whatever he did God made sure it worked out for the best.

2. Do whatever God puts before you.

Genesis 39:20-23 When his master heard his wife's story, telling him, "These are the things your slave did to me," he was furious. Joseph's master took him and threw him into the jail where the king's prisoners were locked up. But there in jail God was still with Joseph: He reached out in kindness to him; he put him on good terms with the head jailer. The head jailer put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners—he ended up managing the whole operation. The head jailer gave Joseph free rein, never even checked on him, because God was with him; whatever he did God made sure it worked out for the best.

3. Put the needs of others above your own. 

Genesis 40: 4-7 After they had been in custody for a while, the king's cupbearer and baker, while being held in the jail, both had a dream on the same night, each dream having its own meaning. When Joseph arrived in the morning, he noticed that they were feeling low. So he asked them, the two officials of Pharaoh who had been thrown into jail with him, "What's wrong? Why the long faces?"

4. Press in and listen to God.

Genesis 40: 8 They said, "We dreamed dreams and there's no one to interpret them." Joseph said, "Don't interpretations come from God? Tell me the dreams."

5. Stop trying to play God.

Genesis 40: 12-15 Joseph said, "Here's the meaning. The three branches are three days. Within three days, Pharaoh will get you out of here and put you back to your old work—you'll be giving Pharaoh his cup just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. Only remember me when things are going well with you again—tell Pharaoh about me and get me out of this place. I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews. And since I've been here, I've done nothing to deserve being put in this hole."

When these five things work together you will be freed up to focus on what God's call is in your life. I am telling you that your call is not a house, a business or being wealthy. Your call has to do with worshipping God through all of your life, your home, your work and your finances.

When you submit your dreams to God's hands you free up your life to receiving His blessings. My advice to you is to realize the five things above: Acknowledge that God is with you, then do your best at what He has placed before you by focusing on the needs of others which will require you to press in and listen to God and by doing so you will not play God by trying to make the dream that God gave you come true.