For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, this man began to build, and was not able to finish. (Luke 14: 28 – 30 (KJV)
So, the question for us today is, “Do we have what it takes to make our dreams a reality?”
Because the greatest tragedy you could ever experience would be to let go of your God-given dream or vision and allow the fire in your heart to go out.
So, I have identified six obstacles that can keep you from following your dream, or God’s Plan for you. See if any of them apply to you.
1. YOUR PAST.
A person without a future will always return to his or her past. He or she will return or go back to old friends, old hangouts, or old habits, trying to find meaning. But when you are drawn to your past, it is because your dream has stopped drawing you to your future. (Philippians 3: 13 – 14 / Isaiah 43: 18 – 19).
Let the past be past. Close the door to anything holding you down, or latching unto you, and move on with God. Always remember that the wisdom to build a better future is built into every painful experience. Strengthen the things that remain or are about to die and go on. (Revelation 3: 2).
We are not promised an easy journey, but we are promised a wonderful destination. (John 16:33 / Proverbs 24:16 / Micah 7:8). So, pick yourself up, and keep going on with the end in view. (Hebrews 12:1-3). It is a CHOICE only you can make. So, FORGET WHAT’S BEHIND.
Why are you more concerned about what you have done than God is?
OK, so you divorced. Divorce is an event, go on and live. OK, so you had an abortion. Abortion is a tragedy, but it is an event. It occurred, now get on and live.
An abortion is murder, isn’t it? Yes, it is. But so is killing a man and burying him in the sand. Moses committed an abortion. He killed a man who did not finish living his life. Paul was an abortionist. He killed people who did not finish living their lives.
I tell you; God does the greatest work in our lives after our utter tragedies. Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible, and Paul wrote the greater part of the whole New Testament.
Now tell me what you think you have done, or is in your past that you think God cannot use you mightily? It is after your tragedy that God does the greatest work.
Therefore, if you fail, it is because you decided not to succeed. If you lose, it is because you decided not to win. You must be like Paul. Forget what is behind! Stop living in your past. Enter your future starting today. God’s Word says, “Behold, I do a NEW thing” (Isaiah 43: 19).
The KEY to living your future is letting go of your past. If you do not let your past go, you will never live your future. Be thankful for what you have; you will end up having more. If you focus or concentrate on what you do not have, you will never, ever have enough.
2. FEAR OF THE BATTLES.
Some people fear the battle so much that they abandon their dreams before they ever reach the battlefield. They never even try, or they give up too quickly. There are three kinds of people: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who do not know what is happening. Which are you? Every battle is won or lost before the battle is begun.
One of the major reasons why people do not see their dreams come to pass is because they do not have the capacity to withstand trouble and or trials. God has no need of such. (Judges 7: 3 – 7).
So, settle the issue of commitment before the challenge arises, or you will falter in the hour of the decision. (Hebrews 10: 39).
Following your dream is agonising, especially in the beginning. But fear of the battle causes some people to stay stuck forever at the starting gate. They are forever waiting, procrastinating or downright scared. (Numbers 13: 31 – 33 / Jeremiah 12: 5). Do not let this be you.
FACE THE FUTURE WITH A BRAVE AND HAPPY HEART.
If you stay ready at all times, or are born ready, you do not have to be ready. (Psalm 112: 7).
Doubt yourself, and you doubt everything you see, and all else. Judge yourself, and you see judges everywhere, even where there is none.
Never go where you are tolerated. Go only where you are appreciated. If they are not appreciating what you bring to the table, leave them alone. Haters and the ignorant will see you walk on water and say it is because you cannot swim.
Pain makes you stronger, tears make you braver, heartbreak makes you wiser, so thank God for a better future. When you feel like quitting, think about why you started. Do not be pushed by your problems or pressures, instead be led by your dreams. The strong people are they, who even with tears in their eyes, still manage to say, ”I am OK”, with a smile. They are like Mount Zion that will not be moved. When you think you cannot, revisit a previous triumph. Everything you want is out there waiting for you. Everything you want also wants you. Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit. Victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting. It is not over until it is over. But it is over, once you throw in the towel (admit defeat) and or give in.
To be happy is a life you have to live. And only you make it so. Always encourage yourself in the Lord. Always. (1 Samuel 30: 6). Look at all the ways you can make something work, as opposed to all the reasons why it cannot or will not work. Opportunities multiply as they are seized.
It is not the will to win that matters-everyone has that. It is the will to prepare to win that matters. Do not get bogged down in analysing, planning, and organising when you need to act. Action separates winners from losers. Winners act. They get up and do what must be done.
Some people spend their whole lives waiting for the perfect time to do something. There is rarely an ideal time to do anything. The universe rewards action!
You will not fail.
3. UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
Before we step out to obey God’s call, we must make sure we have done everything we can to become equipped for the task and get things in order in our lives – both naturally and spiritually.
It simply is not right to ignore your responsibilities and leave others to deal with the problems you have abandoned to follow God.
When God called Elisha to ministry and to wash the hands of the prophet Elijah, he (Elisha) had a few things to take care of before he could follow Elijah. “… Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee…” (1 King’s 19: 20). Plan very carefully and do whatever you must do to ensure you can never turn back. You must give 100 percent of yourself to God’s call, or you surely will not succeed. (Luke 9: 23 / Luke 14: 26).
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1: 6).
Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. (Hebrews 4: 1 – 2)
Unready and unprepared people are great betrayers of secrets; for there are few wants more urgent for the moment than the lack of something to say. They talk more but say less. Tell me what gives a man or woman their greatest pleasure, and I will tell you their philosophy of life. Those who believe money will do everything may be expected to do everything for money.
He that lies down with dogs shall rise up with fleas.
Always behave as if nothing had happened, no matter what has happened.
The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the higher is their power to harm us. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. (Proverbs 23: 7).
If you look for the bad in people, you will surely find it.
A quarrel is like buttermilk, the more you stir it, the sourer it grows.
The policy of being too cautious is the highest risk of all.
The man or woman who makes no mistakes usually does not make anything. No one knows what he or she can do until they try.
Never be afraid to sit awhile and think. I did not say to worry. (Matthew 6: 25 – 33). Worrying tells me that you magnify your problems more than God.
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.
The secret to success is to know something nobody else knows.
The surest way not to fail is to determine to succeed.
People are more easily led than driven. Do not let the now you sabotage the next you.
If the wind does not serve, take to the oars. The rest is up to you!
4. BOREDOM AND DESTRUCTION.
When you lose sight of your dream, boredom sets in–deep, pervasive boredom and unsettledness–and this drives one to the hollow pursuit of pleasure and leisure. People begin to flirt, join, or associate with bad company, and begin to smoke, drink, have illicit affairs, gamble money away, wrap their lives up in sports, entertainment and do drugs because they have become frustrated, bored, discouraged, or disillusioned. They have lost touch with their dreams and future.
Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no revelation or God-given dream, the people cast off restraint.” We all need a sense that we exist for a reason. We need the clarity that a dream brings. Where there is no dream, there is no order to life, no reason to live. We perish by confusion and disorder, and we make a mess of everything. And until you make peace with who you are, you will never be satisfied or content with what you have.
If you are bored and beginning to experiment with behaviour you know will harm you, or even just cultivating pastimes you know are a waste of time, you have lost sight of your dream. (Jeremiah 29: 11).
Remember this: God is responsible for all the consequences of your obedience. But you are responsible for all the consequences of your disobedience. Once you have chosen a path, you must embrace the journey. If you lose your way, start again. (Proverbs 28: 13).
Anyone who fertilises your fear is not a friend. Anyone who motivates or encourages your enthusiasm or passion is your friend. Choose your friends and associations wisely and carefully. (Proverbs 13: 20 / 1 Corinthians 15: 33).
Decide your priorities in the order of importance. Make time only for the worthwhile. You will never unlock your potential until your priorities become habitual. When you focus on your priorities, you will eliminate confusion. Priorities expose the unnecessary, so you must always decide to put ”First things first”. (Matthew 6: 33 / Deuteronomy 6: 5 / Matthew 22: 37).
SET SEXUAL BOUNDARIES!
As a rule, do not make friends with sinners, liars, gossips and jealous, carefree, careless, or reckless people. And if anyone believes in illicit sex, tell them we cannot be friends, period! (Read Proverbs chapter 7 every day till it becomes revelation). When it comes to sexual sins, RUN for your life! Playing with it is like playing with a deadly snake.
Monitor your chats. Do not allow anybody to send you flirty messages, no matter how innocent it sounds. Warn them, and if they refuse to stop, block them! Do not be nice. It is your soul that is at stake. Do not even take any fancy to an unbeliever. Scriptures cannot be broken. (2 Corinthians 6: 14 – 16). Be sensitive to attractions. Do not be naive around the opposite sex. Know when a man/woman is sexually attracted to you and move back from that person. If they focus too much on your physique and body, they are sexually attracted to you, move back. Know when you are sexually attracted to someone and move back.
Also, we must be careful not to sit on the fence, with God. Jesus Himself says, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (Revelation 3: 15 – 16). And many more Scriptures that warn us to be ALL in with God or nothing. (Luke 9:23 / 1 John 2: 15 – 17 / Matthew 10: 28 – 34) comes to mind. I encourage you to study and meditate on all these Scriptures, and any more the Holy Spirit shows you.
Let us conclude with this powerful admonition from scriptures, “Let us draw near with a sincere (true) heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching”. (Hebrews 10: 22 – 25) “It is a FEARFUL thing to fall into the hands of the living God”. (Hebrews 10: 31). You will not fail. God Bless.
5. DISAPPOINTMENTS.
When a dream first enters your heart, there is excitement and expectation. The vision is clear and urgent. The possibilities seem endless as you begin to imagine how everything will come together quickly. Then life happens.
Sometimes you have a dream, and that dream is shattered. The experience creates a deep wound in your heart, which then gets filled with disappointment, like a bitter well. You approach each new opportunity with heaviness, melancholy, and doubt stored inside you or weighing down on you.
Nothing hurts quite like disappointment. The word implies that we believed we had an appointment, but when we got there, things did not happen the way we wanted them to. We were “disappointed.”
You will experience bitter disappointments in life. People will drop the ball, lead you astray, abandon you and worse. You will be disappointed with God and even with yourself. But if you want to reach your dreams, you must become an expert at releasing disappointment when it comes. (Micah 7: 8 / Psalm 34: 19). The word of God promises that our HOPE in Him will not be disappointed. (Romans 5:5).
Hope is as essential to life as air and water, and hope comes from having a purpose. It is hope, not wishing, coupled with faith that brings things to come to pass in the Kingdom of God. Bible hope must be based on the word of God, otherwise it has no foundation under it. Hope is the inner image you build and have on the inside of you after meditating on the promises of God. It is the inner image that your faith becomes the substance of. Hope therefore is the building blocks or blueprint, while faith is the material. Faith can only build, accomplish, or make things happen through hope, not wishes. It is the image or picture on the inside of you that eventually determines destiny. It is the images (on the inside of you) that hope sees and then expects faith to bring to pass. “For as a man or woman thinketh (or sees) in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23: 7).
It is MEDITATION in the word that provokes Inspiration (Hope), which stimulates the flow of revelation from your mind to your spirit, which is a Eureka Holy Ghost moment regarding your challenge, circumstance, mountain, or problem. It comes about by reading, studying, comparing scriptures with scriptures, searching, pondering, and meditating. You must be a studious person before meditation can deliver quality results.
We are limited only by what we allow ourselves to be limited by, and it is all-in the mind. We can call it our MINDSET or our Belief-System. We are each the masters of our reality, and when we become intrinsically aware of this: absolutely anything in the world is possible.
Despair makes a man or woman poor. Hope costs nothing.
Success has seven letters – so does poverty.
Rich has four letters – so does poor.
It is all a matter of MINDSET.
If you believe the doubts in your mind, you will not achieve the dreams in your heart. It is insanity to do the same thing, but then to expect a different result. But someone who has failed, no matter how many times, but decides to change their habits and set a better standard, will inevitably evolve into a winner. You cannot expect victory unless you are willing to do what it takes to win. When you begin to reprogram your mind and build successful habits, winning is not what you just do, but it becomes who you are!
You will never become who you want to be if you keep blaming everyone else for who you are now. He who does not hope to win has already lost. Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible. Nothing in a caterpillar suggests or tells you it will soon be or become a beautiful butterfly.
It is not the great revelation you have not had yet that causes you disappointments, discouragements, or defeat. It is failing to do or stand on what you already know. So, whenever you reach a hard place, continue to do what you know, and you will make it through in victory. You have everything it takes to be a winner. “Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.” (2 Timothy 3:14).
Life is hard if we try to live it in our own strength and power, and we are also bloody scared of what is on the other side of this life. In all history, not one person has tasted death and returned to life, except only one person, Jesus the Christ. He died and rose again from the dead on the third day, as was written or prophesied long ago about Him. (Psalm 16: 10 / Luke 24: 25 – 26).
Our choice then in this life, this side of eternity, is simple: We can ride the tiger or walk the dog. We can choose life, or we can choose death. Heaven or Hell. This is the only two choices we have after this earth. And do not let anyone fool you or tell you otherwise. (Mark 8: 36 / Hebrews 9: 27).
6. OVERSATISFACTION.
Satisfaction is also the enemy of a dream. Some people look at their lives and pronounce them good enough. They hit the cruise control button and lean back instead of forging ahead. They become satisfied with slow, incremental progress.
Instead of being drawn by a dream, they are drawn to enjoy the abundance God gave them. They spend time planning vacations, engaging in hobbies and entertainment, buying recreational equipment, and turning a blind eye to their higher calling. They trade their dreams for the pleasantness of present circumstances. Some ride this satisfaction to the very end of their lives. (1 Cor 10: 12).
Then He (Jesus) spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So, he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12: 16 – 21).
Your perspectives and values will influence or determine how you invest your time, spend your money, use your gifts and talents, and how you value your relationships. The way you live your life shapes your life. How you define life defines or determines your destiny. The value of a person is directly proportional to that person’s values. What we value shapes our character and determines our lives. God uses us in proportion to our willingness to be shaped.
If you have not cried or regretted at least once or twice while writing a chapter of your struggles and life experiences, then you must ask yourself if you are writing fiction. Struggle or effort means you are human. There are specific or certain life lessons that you can only learn in the struggle. And you will be wise to pay close attention to them for their lessons.
There are two things you can count on God to do: First, to give you a clear understanding of His will for your life; second, to provide you with the time and ability to carry it out. Faith always begins when or where the will of God is known.
There is an appointed time for everything. However, your life will go nowhere until you learn to value time, protect time, and use time wisely.
Stop agonising over time you do not have and start to organise the time you do have. You always have enough time to do ALL that God wants you to do. If you do not, you are probably involved in things He never gave or asked you to do. (John 5: 19 & John 17: 4).
Do not multiply your doubts by your thoughts. Multiply your faith by your knowledge and the receiving of His Grace. It is perilous to assume that you will keep getting from life only what you have gotten before. God has wonderful ways of giving back purpose and meaning to our lives when we have lost it. You only have to read the stories and testimonies of so many others before and around you who have messed up their lives and yet, been in receipt of such God’s Grace.
We spend so much of our time worrying about yesterday and tomorrow, yet one is buried and the others unborn. You cannot go back and make a brand-new beginning, but you can start now and make a brand-new ending. Life will not give you what you want. It will give you what you accept. You do not have a spare life, why do you want to waste the only one you have?
I pray today, God will give you power along the way.) Philippians 2: 13).
With courage and God’s help, you will overcome all obstacles, launch out of the starting gate, and spring into your destiny. And even if your dreams have been delayed or seem dead today, God will help you revitalise your dreams, and steer you back on track to its fulfilment.
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Numbers 23: 19) KJV
