Do you have a life dream? Is there some compelling goal before you that drives you forward? Is that dream the thing you invest your time, energy, and heart in?

What if it isn’t the right dream?

In his book The Inspired Leader my friend Richard Blackaby raises that question. He talks of the goal of Bill Gates, who declared in the 11th grade that by the age of 30 he wanted to be a millionaire. However, by the time he was 31 years old, Gates was worth a billion dollars! His dream wasn’t big enough.

Others have set goals they never attained. Still others achieved their goals, only to realize they paid too high a price to reach their dream. Some lost family. Some lost their very souls.

A man named Saul had a big goal. Blackaby says, “As a young man, Paul had a compelling vision for his life. He aspired to be a prominent national leader who dominated his day’s religious scene.” He pursued that goal with great fervor. Yet one day, on a quest to achieve his personal goal, Saul/Paul had an encounter with the risen Christ. And, as Blackaby puts it, “His life dream was upgraded!”

If we dreamed our dreams and set our personal goals before we began our spiritual journey with the Lord, there is a good chance our ego has influenced those goals and dreams. Solomon wisely penned this:

For in many dreams and in many words there is futility. Rather, fear God.

Ecclesiastes 5:7 NASB

Richard Blackaby asks these probing questions:

  1. What is driving your life today? To earn a living? To become rich? To pay off debt? Or is it to fulfill God’s purpose in your life?
  2. Do you know what God’s will is for you? Would you recognize God’s voice if He was communicating it to you?

Moses wrote these strong words of instruction that can guide us today:

Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.

Deuteronomy 13:4 NLT

Our dreams and goals in Christian ministry should start and end with Jesus.

God’s best…