I read a quote that said, “If you never chase your dream, you will never catch it.” Do you have aspirations in life? I hope so.
Yesterday on the morning show at my school they were talking to the students about setting goals regarding our state assessment, the FCAT. Students were encouraged to set a goal to increase their score from last year. Then, my sweet friend, Shawn, who was talking on the morning show, mentioned something to the fact how you should always be setting goals for yourself. Amen! I continued that conversation with my homeroom class stressing the importance of setting goals in various areas in their lives.
I remember as a little child having dreams of becoming or doing something at different stages in life. Were all goals reached? No. Did I become a UF Gators cheerleader? Nah, but I was a cheerleader until I graduated from high school, and had fun striving for perfection in techniques and having great friends. Did I become a teacher and marry a handsome man? Yes and YES! I may not have accomplished all my childhood dreams, but at least I had them, and those dreams helped me to strive to do and be better.
Now at a much older, and hopefully wiser, age I still aspire to do things, but they are a bit more realistic than my childhood hopes and desires. Even though I may have a goal of accomplishing something, I now pray for God’s will to be done and not my own. If I’m filled with a desire to do or have something and it is NOT in His plan, I pray that He completely removes it from my mind and shuts the door so my focus will be on what God wants for my life and not what Stephanie has planned in her mind.
In my quiet time with God this morning I read Proverbs 21:21. It says, “Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor.” That sounds like a goal we should all strive for. Goodness, faithfulness, lasting love, and integrity are all excellent characteristics for us to desire.
Where can we achieve that goal? Well in one of my favorite bible verses it says, “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4. You’ve probably heard me say this before, but I’m saying it again….I believe that when we delight ourselves in the Lord, we will discover that HE is our desire. When we have God in our life, we are much closer to having the goodness, faithfulness, lasting love, and integrity in our lives that we are motivating towards. He is it! We can strive to follow in His steps. 1 Peter 2:21b says, “…He is your example, and you must follow in His steps.”
So back to the beginning quote, “If you never chase your dream, you will never catch it.” Go. Pursue your dreams. Dream BIG. But always seek God first.
Matthew 6:33, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
Blessings to you!
September 1, “Walking in the Word”
