What are some dreams you have for your life?

I had many dreams throughout my childhood and my teenage years.

At first, I wanted to be an animator so I started drawing – I even went for a class! Then I wanted to do video production, so I joined a CCA where I made terrible videos and mistakes. I messed up a lot of footage because I filmed vertically on the iPad.

Then I wanted to be a photographer so I started taking photos. VSCO and Snapseed were my best friends, and I posted frequently on my Instagram occasionally slapping on some cheesy Bible verse on the pictures.

And now? Now I would love to be a writer and a filmmaker. These are two dreams that I haven’t give up on.

So what’s the point of saying all this?

Young or old, everyone has dreams. And as believers, most of us hope deep down that our dreams gel with our destinies. Dreams are a beautiful part of the human condition. Dreams frequently reveal a deep desire and yearning for something more in this life.

Most of us desire to do something fulfilling with our lives, something that will make us say: “This is what I was created to do”.

But what happens when our dreams and destinies don’t really align with the reality of our situation at present?

If you are like me, having lots of different interests and dreams in your life, the idea of finding your “calling” may then seem a little confusing or disheartening to you.

Maybe you had huge dreams of doing big things for the Kingdom of God. Maybe it was a full-time call that God placed in your heart years ago. Maybe life got in the way somehow and you feel stuck in a 9-5 office job or at a school you have no interest being in.

Maybe it feels like the dream is slowly fading away, and you question if you’ve stepped out of your destiny.

We cannot fulfill God-given destinies and purposes on our own terms.

I used to think that my destiny lay somewhere in some distant place in the future, that my dreams would be realised – I just needed to get through the day-to-day grind.

But aren’t we limiting God in so many ways by thinking like that? We are indirectly saying that the Almighty God could only fulfill His destiny for our life in this specific way. And it so happens to be just the way that we want it ­– without grief and without heartache.

As Christians, we may have different callings and common commissions. But God has made each of us uniquely; we all have a special role to play in the Kingdom of God. 

We cannot fulfill God-given destinies and purposes on our own terms. We cannot forget to put God in the picture.

Let’s take a quick look at one of the greatest dreamers in the Bible.

Joseph was a 17-year-old boy when God gave him a dream of his destiny. But when Joseph shared the dream with his brothers, they got so angry at his haughtiness that they wanted to kill him.

Sold as a slave to a foreign master, Joseph could easily have given up on the dream God placed in his heart as a boy, but he held fast to God’s promise. Joseph fulfilled his God-given destiny and dreams. But his dream was not realised for the sake of Joseph’s fame and glory. It was for God’s glory and the benefit of those around him.

His destiny was to be a blessing to nations.

Meaning and fulfilment are not complicated things when we obey and enjoy the ride!

When we are willing to be used by God, He aligns our dreams to what He wants for our lives. Following the path He tells us to walk on, we are choosing the best possible outcome in life. 

We are set free from the bondage of a self-centred life. No longer having to strive after an empty and man-made destiny, we begin to enjoy seeking God in our own secret places. Time with Him becomes oxygen to our lungs.

Living has a purpose when God has the reins. Do you believe He can use you to fulfill His plans?

Meaning and fulfilment are not complicated things when we obey and just enjoy the ride!