Follow Your Dreams

“What in the world did I come in here for?”

How many times have you walked into a room and completely forgotten why you were there? While mowing the yard the other day, I ran back into the house to grab something. After only a few paces across the living room, my mind wandered. I soon found myself looking around, trying to remember why I was there. What was I looking for? Unfortunately, this happens more often than I’d like to admit. Generally, my life is built around a series of consistent routines to avoid forgetting what I’m doing. I get up and get ready for work by following the same steps, so I don't get to my office and realize I left my wallet on the nightstand.

Sadly, this also happens in my spiritual life. As I press on through the daily patterns of life, my mind gets caught up in the trials and tribulations, and I forget why I’m here. As more difficulties arise, I struggle to remember what I’m doing and why. I’ve built a series of routines to try and keep my heart and mind focused, but sometimes, even though I’m following those routines, my heart is somewhere else. No matter how dedicated I am to Bible study and prayer, life has a way of distracting me.

It's important to stay focused and remember the goal.

I’ve been a writer for most of my life, whether poetry, songs, or books, and being a writer is what I've always wanted to be. Ever since I learned to read, I dreamed of writing books. Though I work an office job to pay the bills, writing is my passion and lifelong dream. In 2020, I prayed, asked the Lord for mercy, and dedicated myself to His service. I prayed and told the Lord I wanted to write to share the gospel. I wanted to share the hope and peace I had found with everyone. Finally, I had a reason to write. I had something to say that mattered. Though only a handful of people may ever read my books, poetry, or blog posts, at least I will have shared something worth having. With the Lord, my writing has a divine purpose.

The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.- Matthew 13:22

As wonderful as that is, I found recently that my mind had wandered, and I had forgotten why I was writing. Difficulties with life and work distracted me. I started looking at writing as an avenue for a career change and realizing a dream rather than spreading the gospel. I lost my sense of purpose by forgetting the goal, the reason I needed to write. Sharing the gospel became the secondary reason for writing. Suddenly, I found myself staring at my computer screen and asking myself, “What in the world am I trying to say here?”

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.- Colossians 3:2

Sometimes, the only remedy is to go back outside and keep mowing until we remember why we went into the house—most of the time, it hits us like a flash because it was something important we needed. As I pushed the mower and felt the sun beating down on my head, I realized I wasn't wearing a hat. I stood in the bedroom, staring right at it, oblivious that I was missing it. The same is true for our spiritual lives. Sometimes the only remedy is to go back to the daily grind of life, fighting the seemingly endless onslaught of problems until we remember what we need to get through them. Until we remember hope and the promise that awaits us. Until we remember what we came for.

But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”- Matthew 13:23 

Whatever talents and dreams we have, we’re all called to use them, but the calling isn’t about fulfilling our dreams. We aren’t called to sing, write, paint, run a successful business, or start a family just because we want to; we’re called to do the things we want to do to preach the Word effectively. I want to write, and so I’m called to share the gospel through writing. Other people want to be artists, and they are called to preach the gospel through their art. No matter who we are, what we’re good at, or what we want to do, we’re all called to preach the gospel. We’re not called to paint. We’re not called to raise a family. We’re not called to write. We’re not called to be President. We’re called to follow our dreams and do what we want to preach the gospel.

Keep your mind and heart focused on the goal; only then will your dreams be realized.

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.- Matthew 13:44

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