Dare to Dream Big!

1 Chronicles 4:10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.

You have to dare to dream big! This morning God was ministering that to me in the shower. For years I have allowed my dreams to be shattered by circumstances, situations and people. I am back reading Jabez (again), and God said to me this morning, "It's time to dream bigger." Look at Jabez, his mother called him "pain". We are often limited by what we call (how we see ourselves) ourselves, what others call (how others see us) us. Had Jabez just limited himself to what he had called he would have never dared to dream big. God created us to make impact in the city, state and nation. We as Christians are called to be influential in this temporary land. It isn't for our own personal gain but for that of Kingdom Advancement. Jabez understood that to be blessed by God, was the enlargement, that means he dared to dream big. Some of us have had a dream that has laid dormant in us for far too long. We are much like the Israelites who received the word of the spies into their lives, "Ooh! They have big grapes!" From that moment on they were paralyzed with fear and dared to dream big. Many of us have experienced the same thing. Something or someone has paralyzed us with the fear of moving forward. I had to learn in my life that I could not be bound to my past and God wanted to liberate me and be free. So this morning I am compelled to get even further out my box and share with you some principles of God that I am learning at this time.

1) Let go of your past. Often we are caught up in our past failures and our past successes. We will only go as far as we see and if all we see is the past then we will stay there.

2) Let go of some of your habits and ways. Those ways dictate your character. They leave you limited and stagnant. God is God of growth and if you are going to enlarge, some ways will have to change.

3) Walk in Godly counsel! If you are dreaming big, get away from those people who smother your dreams. I had to learn to separate myself from dream killers. You will find yourself around individuals who are intimidated by your dream. They don't care to encourage you and they definitely don't want to see you succeed. It makes them uncomfortable, especially if they think you will go further than they will in life. If you are trying to get to a place you need to put yourself around people who have done those things before or are trying. Iron has to sharpen Iron. Put yourself around people that will help you to grow.

4) Stop Competing- The word says for us to run this race at our pace. We have been taught so long that "a little competition is healthy." That doesn't follow what the scripture says. We are to press toward our high mark and not try to beat someone else at theirs.

5) Stop Comparing- Don't compare yourself to someone else. You don't know where they are in their own life. You don't know what they have been through, what they have labored over, or even if you have the wrong perception. Often we compare ourselves to misguided truths, because their lives appear to be "so together". Love you for who God created you to be.

6) Stop reading into your title- For so long we have held on to titltes; housewife, ceo, teacher, secretary and many others. Often whatever label that we have bought into we leave ourselves at that level. Our titles should not define us, we should define the title. Everything we do should be done unto God. If you are a housewife at this moment, find God's purpose to that and be the best one that there is.

7) Take your limitations off God- God is the one who tells us when we have reached our final place. I remember that I had set some goals, and once I had reached them God said, "Okay, what's next?" I had limited Him to what I thought was my potential. He propelled me to something further. My salary, my position or my degrees don't define my destiny.

8) Stop chasing things- You can't chase wealth (Pastor Caldwell's wisdom of nugget) or accomplishments or things. You have to chase God. The word says seek yea first the Kingdom, and everything else will be added unto you. If we Chase God, he will supply abundantly more than we could ever imagine.

9) Learn to be quiet!- If you are always talking, then God can't talk to you. He can't use other people around you. You can't always have something to say. The scripture says that the fool always opens its mouth wide. Learn to get quiet so that you can learn to hear from God. We often miss the Holy Spirit, because we talk too much. In learning to shut up, you have to learn who to share your dream with and not. It is not important for people to know how much you know.

10) Stay in your word- When you are daring to dream big, you have to keep the Word of God on it. If you are headed into areas that you have never been before, you need to find every scripture you can about that subject and apply it. Say you have decided that you want to go into computers, but you have never been in that area. Ask God for the wisdom for it and find training for it. Find scriptures on wisdom and confess, read and study them everyday. We can try to accomplish things on our own but the wisdom of God far surpasses all.

Dream big Dreamers, your destiny awaits you.

Prayer: Father please expand our opportunities and impact in such a way that we touch more lives for Your glory. Let us do more for You. In Jesus Name, Amen