Don't let pragmatism kill your dream.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 12:00PM Pragmatism can kill your desires. Statements like the following will sabotage budding dreams:
- "How will we pull this off?" (vs Why should we do this?)
- "I'd love to pursue this, but I don't have the time, money, resources."
- "I've always dreamed of becoming a [________], but how will I provide for my family?"
- "I really want to move forward in my calling, but I guess I'll wait until the economy rebounds a bit."
Let me also be clear that there must be discernment involved. Launching into your dream or calling without having heard some directive from God can be foolish and bring about unnecessary pain. Listening for his counsel and wisdom is critical. That having been said, don't allow pragmatism to prevent you from taking the necessary, God-inspired risks that will bring you further into your place in the Story.
Pragmatism's favorite word is "how?" Someone has to answer that question, but we can leave that to our Supply Captain who has any and every resource at his disposal.
God recently asked me and my wife to move our family 1,000 miles with no job. I knew that's how he wanted us to proceed because it's what I had been hearing for two years. Believe me, it was tempting to hedge our bets and say, "Sure we'll move, God; if you give us a job first." Or, "Let's wait until we've got some good job leads."
In fact, our trust did waver during the journey. Other's we hoped would support us thought we were nuts. But in the end, we moved without a job. And God showed up. Brilliantly. He provided a job for my wife that couldn't have come any other way than by his intervention. That's just one of the ways in which he took care of things.
Pragmatism could have killed our dream, for we did not have a clue as to "how" God was going to provide. But our Supply Captain always has something up his sleave...