Listen Now
Relying on people’s opinions creates a very unhealthy space in which to grow. In my case, it was paralyzing. I knew my dreams were still there, but they were buried. The fears in my mind crowded out my dreams and my motivation to change.
To pursue my dreams, this first question was necessary and even practical: What’s the first step? But other questions were paralyzing and needed to be knocked out by God’s truth. What if I mess up? What if this is the wrong turn? What if I look dumb in the eyes of someone else?
Those questions were based in fears and took the focus off God. In reality, those fears put all the responsibility of going for my dreams totally on my shoulders, and that is a load too heavy to bear. So, here’s what I tell myself now when those fears surface:
If I mess up, I will learn what not to do.
If I fail, I will learn what works and what doesn’t.
If I look dumb, what really matters more: that I think I look dumb or what God thinks about me for trying?
Is the all-knowing, all-wise God looking at me like I am dumb (after all, no one is as smart as God) or does He look at me like a good parent who is proud of me for trying?
My mind often goes back to the parable of the boss who went away which is found in Matthew 25:14-30. He trusted his three top employees and gave each a different numbers of bags of gold to invest for him when he was gone. The last guy in the story received only one bag of gold. He feared that his wealthy boss would be hard to please, so instead of quickly putting the money to work like the other two men, he dug a hole and buried it. There it was safe, but not earning anything.
When the boss man checked back on him, he was angry at the man for burying the gold. So, he took the one bag away from him and gave it to the guy who had listened and invested his money.
It is wicked and lazy not to do anything with the gift God gives me — my dreams. He would rather have me try and use my gifts than bury them, even if I don’t do as well as I hoped.
I see three lessons as I reflect on this parable:
- Trust God for who He says He is. Often, we can project what God is like based on everyone else’s thoughts about Him. That will get us off base and rob us of a growing relationship with God and learning from the Bible who God is. Take the time to get to know Him for yourself.
- Trust God for who He says you are in Him. Often, we realize we’re not qualified for the work ahead. We think, I’m not smart enough. I’m not good with words. I’m not a people person. Those thoughts may or may not be true. Yet those things don’t matter compared to what God sees and what He is able to do through you if you are willing. In my life, I have often applied for a job knowing I wasn’t fully qualified, thinking, If they give me a chance, I can learn to do the job! When you are with God, you don’t have to see the glass as half empty. Instead, be grateful that the glass was chosen and that He is capable of filling it. Don’t lean on your fears. Surrender them.
- Trust God and believe in Yourself. The worst thing isn’t whether you fail or embarrass yourself. The worst thing is if you don’t try at all. At the end of the day, you have to believe in God and His work in you more than any negative thoughts or doubts that try to prevent you from going forward.
If you are weary or scared of change, lean on Him. If you’re ready for change, lean on Him. If you are just starting out, lean on Him. And most important, go and do the work you feel God has called you to complete. Life is for living and is full of interesting turns that leads to places we never expected. Following our dreams can be good, so go for it!
