Dreams.....

Hey everybody!!
Sorry I've not posted lately.  Judgement House season is always busy, but this year, it almost did me in!!  I still am not back 'up to par' like I"d like to be.... So.... I just didn't have the brain power to sit and write.  So sorry!

I hope you have found yourself becoming UNSTUCK.... that is kind of where we left off last time.  If you don't remember, take a few minutes to review the last post and see what you think!!

By this time, the end of the semester is in your sights.  For some of you, that is a huge relief.  For some, it can't come quick enough.  For some, perhaps some sadness because you LOVE this semester and all that comes with it.  Whatever the case, I am sure there are some of you looking ahead... planning.... dreaming.

What I want to 'talk' with you about today is just that... your dreams.

I can imagine there are none of us who are seriously considering becoming professional nobodies.  Nor can I imagine you are thinking about just dropping out of life all together (well, ok... maybe considering it, but just for small moments of time!!).  I wonder if you are having the same dreams of being a 'grown up' that you did when you were little?  Do you still want to grow up to be the same thing as when you were 5?  10?  15?

I know.  It really is none of my business.  BUT, the upside to that is, I'm not asking you to TELL me those things.  I want you to tell YOURSELF those things!!!  :)

Here is the thing.  Most children have pretty lofty dreams (becoming a professional athlete, a famous ______, President of the United States).  Most children do not aspire to be a couch potato.  Having said that... something happens between our childhood dreams and our adulthood and those things tend to 'calm' some.  Most of our dreams are not reality once we are adults.  Very few people achieve all they ever hoped to.  So, what happened??

Here is my question:  Around what do your dreams revolve??

"I want to play ball in the NFL when I grow up!"  "I want to be a famous singer and travel around the world when I grow up!"  "I want to be a doctor and save all the sick people from dying when I grow up!"  "I want to be the richest man/woman in the world when I grow up!"
What do all these things have in common??

MOST dreams we have of the future revolve around that pesky self we battle with a lot of the time!!  Is there something wrong with that?  NO... not if GOD is the center of that self.  However, most humans I know don't really have that going for them!!

So.... we are going to explore our dreams a little as they relate to US and GOD.  First of all, if "I" is the center of everything you do (I wanna, I'm gonna... I will, I didn't, etc) then this is an issue of PRIDE.  Yes.  I did say that!!    Pride is defined as thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought.  So... when we center our world around US, then that becomes pride!!

Here are some ways, according to Doug Fields, that pride can rear its head as we pursue our dreams:

~Entitlement:  this happens when we shoot for the sky, but don't want to work to get there.
~Overconfidence: we work hard for our dreams, in our OWN strength.  (this ends up with thoughts like, "No one around here can do things as well as I can", or "Everything always depends on me.")
~Superiority: As we work, and make progress toward our dreams, we tend to look down our noses at others. (Some thoughts that come from this might be:  "I'd never be caught with them." or, How did he get himself in such a mess anyhow, why can't he just get it together?")
~False Humility:  Maybe we've given up on our dreams all together, and are wiling to 'settle'..... Feeling like a loser all the time is also pride.  It is self focus, which is at the center of pride.

Did any of these hit you?  Do you relate to any of these?  Do you see that perhaps your dreams are YOUR dreams and not God's plan?  (Don't get me wrong.  God's plan is for you to be the best you that you can be.... but we get into trouble when WE plan and ask God to bless it.)

Doug Fields goes on to say that PRIDE can sneak up in strange places.... see if any of these sound familiar:
"I hate my job.  I deserved that raise, or promotion, and don't know why ______ got it."
"I can't believe my friend lives in such a big home.  That is so not fair.  I deserve that, too."
"I know I stepped in line ahead of someone else.  No way will I apologize, that is just the way it is!"
"That coach is such an idiot!! I so could do a better job!"
"That cop had no right to pull me over.  Why doesn't he go find something better to do, like protect us from real criminals?"
"I know I've got some bad habits.  But, it is who I am, and I don't have to change for anyone."

So... anything?  Was that you? (Not worried about anyone else right now....)

I'd like for you to take a few minutes to think.  Do you have dreams that have not come to pass?   If so, please let's look at the 'stuff' behind those dreams, ok??

Do any of your dreams revolve around....
     ~the desire to win at all costs?
     ~the need to be noticed?
     ~the need to prove to someone you can be successful?
     ~the desire, longing, to be noticed?
     ~the need to be seen as right?
     ~the quest to be respected?
     ~the hope of making a name for yourself

WOW.... this is some hard stuff.  I know, I"m right there with you!!  (I'm not just typing this AT you....)

So, we realize we are prideful in ways we never thought possible.  What now?  Where do we go from here?  Do we just lay our dreams down and forget about them??  hang on..... we'll figure that out......

Here is what we do:  We must realize that God doesn't want us to be stuck in pride-fueled dreams that lead nowhere near His path of greatness for us.  That does NOT mean we give up on everything 'we' have dreamed of.  It DOES mean that we need to check our dreams against God's plan for us!!

Please read Ephesians 2:8-10.
Verses 8-9 talk about  us being saved by Grace and not works (we cannot earn our way into salvation, it is a free gift (grace)...)  Verse 10 is where I want us to focus:
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."


So, here's the deal.  God's dreams aren't elusive and illusory... we don't have to chase them all over hte place and wonder if we got it right!!  He created us.. we are His workmanship... He isn't going to create us to torment us!!

When we draw close to Him, He will work through us to bring those dreams about~  But, we have to understand that God's dreams for us are NEVER rooted in our own self-importance; they are ALWAYS rooted in HIS glory.  Because we are created by Him, we represent Him in all we do.  (Just like a pair of Nike shoes are made by Nike... if they are a crappy pair of shoes, they reflect on the Nike name!) 


 So, here is what I'd like you to think about until the weekend (I"ll get back on the Sunday night posting schedule this weekend!)


1.  Are you working to reach goals/dreams that are pitted in 'self'?
2.  What area of pride (if any) did you identify with (remember the list near the top??)?
3.  Do you see yourself as God's workmanship?  What does that mean to you?
4.  How does being God's workmanship affect you (deeper than 'what does that mean to you')?  What does that look like in your everyday life?
5.  Where do you go from here?


We'll pick up right here this weekend.  Until then, leave some comments!


(If you are unsure how to do that, email me or send me a FB message.  I've sent directions before, but I can send them again~  ckmiller5@gmail.com)


Judgement House was great.  Ran very smoothly, I didn't forget anything huge (i was so afraid of that... chemo brain and all), people were there because they wanted to see others come to know Jesus!!  We had a ton of prayer requests, rededications and 52 professions of faith.  
Thanks to JJ and Gabe for coming home that weekend.  We had one of our cast members get sick, and they filled in.  Thanks for serving, fellas!!


I hope you have a great rest of the week!!  I am looking forward to seeing you all when you are home for Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks!!  Maybe we'll have a 'college hang out' at the Millers'.... 


Love you ~ You are precious.....