When Purpose Overrides the Dream

It’s not uncommon for me to get messages, emails and questions from people concerning their life goals, dreams and vision, especially at the beginning of the year.  After a few inquiries about what they’ve been doing toward their aspirations I usually know how to direct them back on a path to achieving their desires.  However, that doesn’t always happen, in which my instruction isn’t always as readily received. 

Recently I had a conversation with someone about how their vision board and life plans were coming along as scheduled.  The response was “What vision board?  I don’t have one.”  This was a little surprising to me especially due to the fact they were a real go getter ... so I thought.  Basically, this individual was going about life without a purpose with no set goals or plan, just doing things randomly when and if an opportunity arose. 

Our conversation deepened as to what they wanted when I realized there wasn’t really a plan of action, only “dreams’ of things they hoped would happen in their life.  I knew that if they really expected to reach their goals, they would have to implement a plan that aligned with God’s purpose.  Clearly, they didn’t know how to do this and I wasn’t sure if they wanted any direction from the Lord (or me) anyway. 

Doing It Whose Way? 

I’m not alone in saying that I’ve been guilty of wanting to follow my own path and “do it my way” when it comes to dreams that are bigger than life.  The problem is, we want the pie in the sky with all the bells and whistles that come with God’s favor, but most don’t want to do their part in making anything happen or even dare to get Him involved.  After all, He might not understand what we want or see things our way, right? 

Ever since I was a little girl in primary school, I wanted to be a teacher.  Throughout my teen and college years I participated in activities such as school clubs, church and nursing home volunteering that kept me on the path leading to an educator.  I never thought of needing God’s favor to open doors and followed the prescribed “schedule” of the world to achieve my goals.  Then came graduation! 

Wow, I achieved my dream of becoming a teacher and had a degree proving I was competent to do the job.  Recommendation upon recommendation led me to great schools, but none opened the door for securing a position on staff. 

For six years I remained a substitute teacher hoping something I did would bring my name to their remembrance when a position opened in several school districts, but nothing happened.  It wasn’t until I got hold of a pastoral teaching message that I recognized my pursuit of trying to get a job as a teacher was mainly done in my natural strength, and believe me when I say, it had been exhausting! 

Sure, I was the “go to” substitute teacher and was widely known throughout the surrounding school districts, but it didn’t matter how popular I was.  No one was interested in hiring me full time … that was until I made a change in the way I went after my vision for teaching. 

Although I was a believer in Christ, went to church, tithed, did all sorts of godly activities, my relationship with the Lord was surface and not really personal.  Who knew that walking with God didn’t mean doing good things for “His” cause, attending church regularly and reading the Bible daily?  Back then I never heard of the favor of God, and that my life had a purpose beyond what I wanted to do with it. 

After being rejected repeatedly, I had plenty of time on my hands while waiting for that special call.  I began listening to and watching preaching messages beginning at 6 a.m.  It didn’t really matter what it was; I was a captive audience and was frankly there to “listen” due to lack of other things to do. 

Being an avid note taker and researcher, I became interested in this new phrase I’d been hearing – “the favor of God.”  There were several takes on what it literally meant, which didn’t help at all.  I had to find out for myself and see if these people were using the Word of God like a genie in the bottle expecting Him to deliver simply by calling out their requests.  There was much to learn, but that didn’t sway me from sorting through all the rubbish until I began experiencing this new thing called “favor” for myself. 

When The Chosen Didn’t Understand

Before learning about what God said concerning His favor, I thought I was in fellowship walking with Him because I prayed and read my Bible – even memorized passages!  Being a teacher was something I wanted to do; it never dawned on me that He put the desire in my heart for His purpose. 

The Bible tells of individuals who “walked with God” (meaning they had true fellowship with Him).  Some of them seemed to grasp the concept while others had a bit of difficulty sticking to the plan – God’s plan, which included His unmerited favor. 

We also learn about the long forty-year journey of the Israelites who gained God’s favor along their path so they could reach the land of promise.  What readers often fail to notice is that only a few of the original lot actually reached the desired land and walked in God’s favor their entire life. 

Sadly, most of “The Chosen” people aka, the Israelites, didn’t understand the purpose of the journey.  Somewhere along the way one-by-one lost the vision and purpose. Due to lack of belief or following the instruction of the Lord, only a small percentage truly walked with God their entire journey.  Oh, if the others had remained faithful to the purpose they would have seen the vision of God for their lives come to fruition. 

God’s Ways and Plans Are Bigger 

When we walk with the Lord it is supposed to be with purpose.  Scriptures teach us that the disciples followed Jesus with and for a purpose – God’s purpose.  All along Jesus had a plan, but they only learned about it one step at a time.  If they were not walking with Him daily, they couldn’t have known the next course of action to take.  They would simply be guessing what God wanted them to do with the information and skills learned through their “teacher” and Master.

Becoming a teacher was part of God’s plan for me, but His vision was larger than my dream.  His ways and plans are bigger and better than I even thought of or imagined. 

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.  As the Heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:6-9 NIV)

My thinking consisted of having a great classroom where I could use my creativity, and help students learn the skills needed to achieve their hearts desires.  What else was there?

For all I knew, I would be at the same school for my entire career and be happy to boot in that little world I set in motion with my limited thinking.  That wasn’t God’s plan.  My dream lacked vision beyond the boundaries of what I could think or physically see.  Oh, ye (meaning me) of little faith, or no faith if I were to be truthful.

Not only did my dream of teaching lack vision, but also purpose to do things beyond my God given abilities.  You know what I mean … vision to do the greater things Jesus talked about that we would do with His help and the power (favor) of God.

Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in Me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  You may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it.” (John 14:12-14 NIV)

The problem is, I never asked!  I needed little or no faith really to go to college and walk out the things I knew to do.   Register for college, somehow come up with tuition for each semester, get transportation and go attend classes – that’s about it, right?   Why would I need God to do the things I could do on my own? 

Praying consisted of me asking God to bless my plans and make things work out the way I wanted.  I didn’t have a true purpose other than I liked the things that went along the lines of what a teacher did.  Therefore, go to college – become a teacher.  Not once did I ask God if this was part of His plan, even though I knew what the Bible said on the subject.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” (Jeremiah 29:11-12 NIVUK)

All along I was planning my way, disregarding the fact that God already had a plan that included prosperity, hope and a good future that protected me from harms way.  Why didn’t I take the Word of God seriously from the beginning of my career?  If I had understood how God keeps His promises (of and through favor), I would have kept in step walking more closely with Him.

Read part two of "When Purpose Overrides the Dream"!

Until next time, God’s favor always has a purpose! 

 “Favor has purpose.”
Jesus Christ 

 

*Names in articles are not used or changed to protect the individual(s) privacy. 

Note: When used, the words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because we give him no place in our lives. 

Disclaimer: Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for mental or physical issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness. 

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The Call: Finding and Fulfilling God’s Purpose for Your Life by Os Guinness

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Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.  Any reference to satan or devil are not capitalized intentionally.

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