Are You Dreaming Big? Are You Dreaming at All?

Many people don’t dream in fear of failure. As a result, they only set small goals in fear of never achieving bigger ones – which are the goals and dreams the REALLY want. In other words, they settle.

“Too many people set goals too low and try to complete them too quickly”- Rick Warren (From the Awesome Power of Faith podcast)

We are often taught to set achievable goals. However, if everyone in the world only set goals they knew they could reach, no records would be broken, no inventions would be created and no discoveries would be found. Attempting the impossible gives us an opportunity to truly discover what is truly possible – not what we think is possible, but what is our real potential when we strive for better things, higher goals and bigger dreams.

While I do believe you need to have goals you can reach, you also need to set bigger goals, beyond what you believe are possible. It’s called dreaming – and we ALL should dream. So many people have NO idea of their potential. As a result, they set goals based on what they believe they can do. I see this all the time. People set low goals, but then they want to achieve them too quickly.

For instance, someone may want to lose 30lbs. But, the need to lose 70lbs. 70 seems impossible, but 30 seems doable. Or, they want to lose 20lbs this month, when 20lbs is totally doable, but it’s not realistic for you to do that in 30 days. Some people may set a goal to do a 5K, when a 5K is totally possible, but a half marathon is more of a challenge. Still possible, but will take more effort, more time to achieve and also bring you much more joy when accomplished.

This applies in all areas of life too beyond fitness. We want to reach possibles goals – and we want to achieve it tomorrow. We want to make more money – tomorrow. We want a better marriage – tomorrow. We want our diet to pay off – tomorrow. These things take a massive amount of work, and if you are bold enough to dream bigger, you will be amazed what God can do in your life when you dream a God-sized dream.

What is a God-sized dream?

A God-sized dream is a dream you can’t achieve alone. You’ve got a BIG God, so why dream small?

Big goals and dreams require FAITH. If we set goals that we can achieve on our own, we are basically saying we don’t need God and don’t even WANT to need God. Why in the WORLD would we want to exclude an all-powerful God that knows best and has all the resources we need? Whatever our goal is, whatever we want to overcome, anything is possible with His help. Even losing weight.

Overcoming Failure

I have to admit, I always used to be a BIG dreamer. We achieved some pretty incredible things, from growing a very successful business and landing a role on 2 major TV networks – life was GREAT and exciting… BUUUT, since other humans are typically involved in your dreams (because they are involved in your life) – AND, because you are human and you too mess up – we experienced a ton of failures along the way.

Over time, as people let me down and no matter how hard I worked, my dreams crumbled so I stopped dreaming. I was just surviving. I saw no hope of digging myself out of the mess I was in. I lived in survival mode for 4 long years. I wasted so much time in survival mode, feeling hopeless and feeling like such a failure. I was scared to try something new. I was scared of failure once again. So, while where I was wasn’t where I wanted to be, I remained there.

Well, God doesn’t call us to just remain the same and just live to survive. Just because people let me down and just because I made mistakes, it shouldn’t mean I should give up on my dreams – or God. Just because I messed up and made poor decisions doesn’t mean I can start making better ones.

I’ve learned this over the last few years and, while it took a bit to get over the loss of a business, betrayal, rejection and failure, I slowly realized “all things work together for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to HIS purpose” (not mine). While I started out right, I got off track and ultimately ended wrong. I failed.

Fail to Learn

Sometimes failure has to happen in order to discover your REAL purpose – God’s purpose. We learn from failures as long as we don’t give up. We needed a major reset, we needed to refocus (on Him, not our dreams). Over time, God has used failure to bring us to our knees, forcing us to lean on Him (when we should have been leaning on Him fully the entire time). He has healed my heart and grown me to the point I started dreaming again. I am trusting God and doing things now I NEVER thought I’d EVER do – and God is not IN it, He’s LEADING it. Ironically, my dreams have not changed much. What has changed is the purpose behind the dream. God’s ways are not our ways, but they are BETTER ways!!

I’m so amazed what God has done in our life over the last 3 years following His lead, and more specifically the last 6 months. It took a HUGE step of faith to start a new nutrition business. It takes a HUGE step of faith to obey Him daily. It takes a HUGE step of faith to dream again, but boy does God love showing off in our lives.

If you stopped dreaming, that is not how God desires us to live. I actually think it’s impossible to follow God and not dream, because as we follow Him, He gives us desires and passions. We realize that the sky is the limit because HE is unlimited. HE does the impossible and He does it through ordinary people all the time. We see Him radically changing lives. If He can cast out demons and turn a murderer into a apostle, He sure as crap can transform a person’s unhealthy habits.

It’s not about being rich or famous, or smoking hot and super fit looking. It’s about you being your best. His dreams always grow you and improve your life in order to impact others. A real dream is bigger than you. His dreams have an eternal purpose. His dreams change lives. Finally, I feel like I am getting it. While we’ve always been in the business of “helping others”, now we are learning how to serve others. Big difference. A lot of the same actions and same work, but different driving force and a much bigger reward.

Dream Bigger Than Your Ability.
Dream a God-Sized Dream – a Dream that Can ONLY Be Accomplished with His Help!

Big Dreams Require Faith

Weight loss may not seem like a God-sized dream, but changing who you are is. Most people need more than just weight loss.They are overweight because they have to make serious changes to their life, not just their waistline. They have to change how they respond to pain if they are a comfort food eater. They have to change the way the respond to stress if they are a stress eater. They have to change how they manage their time if they spend most of their time being unproductive, unorganized and not having time to take care of themselves. They have to change how they eat and what they put in their body. They have to change their life.

Anyone can white knuckle it for a while, but a lasting change requires a change from the inside out. You will need help, you will need strength, you will need to know your value and that it honors God to honor your body. You will have to change the way you look at YOU, food, time, energy and others. Your weight and health is more than just a number on a scale. It’s a reflection of how you live your life. If you want to truly change, it will take faith and obedience.

If you want to make a lasting life change, you need a God-sized goal. Ask God to place on your heart HIS desires for you. I guarantee He wants you to take care of yourself. I guarantee He wants you to be healthy and energetic so you can live the life He intended. And, I guarantee He WANTS to help you, transform you and grow you. So, let Him do His thing. Trust Him fully – even with the small stuff.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6