Just like how we walk by faith, we persist no matter how we feel, what we see, what others say, or what it smells or tastes like. I’ve used all the excuses for giving up, so don’t try any of them on me. I’ve heard from “it doesn’t matter,” to “I’ll never get there,” or “I’m just too tired to keep trying,” all the way to “it’s not going to work.” And all along in most cases it, success, was just right around the next corner. Do you have a dream that drives you like no other?
James 1:12 niv
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
It’s easy to persist when things are rolling along. But those who are successful are persistent despite major setbacks and a lack of evidence that it is moving them closer toward their goals.
A Dream That Drives You Like No Other
So what’s a great first step in being persistent? A dream that drives you like no other, along with a burning desire to see it happen. Motivational speaker Jim Rohn was quoted as saying:
“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”
What is Your Dream, Your Desire?
Think about it for a moment. If you need an an idea for what your dream might be, springboard some ideas off of mine. My dream is to allow God to impact as many people as possible through me. And for that to happen through the strengths he designed in me. And for that to impact my kids and leave something for them to impact their families and their world. And I have to add this – to do all of that through my regular every-day-walking-around-kind-of-life.
My significance (who I am) is tied up in that dream, causing a burning desire in me to see it happen. A desire that causes me to persist, to want it badly, really badly, and to never look for an excuse or a way out.
Habakkuk 2:2 nasv
Then the Lord answered me and said, “Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run (with it).”
Write it on the Tablet of Your Heart
In other words, write it down and keep it before you as a reminder. It will keep you focused and driven. This is in reference to only the few (less than 3%) who actually write their dreams down and actually see them happen. Are you a part of the 3, or the 97?
Carmen and I could very easily just sit back and do little to nothing the rest of our lives. But if I didn’t continue to pursue my dreams I would be letting my God and my kids down. And I would be letting down all those He wanted to impact through me. So that is what drives me. What is it that drives you?
Proverbs 12:27
The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.
I remember Todd Hopkins (founder and owner of Office Pride) once said (not an exact quote) that most people have dreams, but very few actually pull the trigger and go after them.
I’ve had repeated failures, dead ends, and times when it seems like no progress is being made come before me often (and often is an understatement). And it seems it (feeling like nothing is happening) always does so right before a major breakthrough happens.
Challenge for the day: Ask God to help you set a dream in place. What do you want your legacy to be? God has a dream burning in you and for you, to impact you, your family and your world! So be it.
