The Hope QuotientSample

Many of us have only one goal in life: to make it through the day. Chuck Swindoll once described a conversation with a student. He asked, “Where are you headed?”

“To lunch,” the student said. 

For a lot of people, that’s the whole dream.

When someone finally focuses on what they can become, they’re free to dream. Hope replaces guilt, encouragement overpowers discouragement, the dream supplies energy to reach a new destination.

Grace, which is God’s forgiveness, frees us from the chains of the past. Getting a dream fuels us. Some people get freed but not fueled. For some, the hurts and disappointments of the past no longer hold them, yet without a dream, they meander through an uneventful life. Other people are fueled but not freed. They have great ideas but regret for the past keeps them anchored in place.

Not having a dream results in three unhealthy emotions: frustration, boredom, and regret. 

Frustration, because people who don’t set goals move from crisis to crisis. Without a dream, you’re a reactor, not an actor. 

Boredom, because you have nothing to shoot for and nothing powerful to capture your interest. Without a dream, you move from diversion to diversion, and it gets old.

Regret, because you say, “If only I’d done this or that.” That’s a tragic way to live because we all have the freedom to choose a new future.

Grace helps us to change tracks from what was to what could be. God’s forgiveness frees us from the past so we can dream. The dream fuels us to reach out for something better. 

And when I say dream, I mean, dream big.

A young pastor has a dream for every school in his town to have a sponsoring church. The churches make sure each student has the necessary resources and provide tutors, classroom assistants, and support for the school. This pastor has passion in his eyes and energy in his ministry. That’s what happens to every person who has a God-honoring dream.

Think Up:

Grace helps us to change tracks from what was to what could be.

Is your dream big enough to fuel you with energy for the future? (Read on).