Do you want your dream this bad? Would you sacrifice your body to get it? How much pain are you willing to take?
Already prepared for Hurricane Irma, we are watching movies. Rocky came on the TV and it confirmed my devotional today:
“When a Roman soldier was told by his guide that if he insisted on taking a certain journey, it would probably be fatal, he answered, ‘It is necessary for me to go – it is not necessary for me to live.’ That was true depth of conviction, and only when we are likewise convicted will our lives amount to something. But a shallow life lives on its impulses, impressions, intuitions, instincts, and largely on its circumstances. Those with profound character, however, look beyond all these and move steadily ahead, seeing the future, where sorrow, seeming defeat, and failure will be reversed. They sail right through storm clouds into the bright sunshine, which always awaits them on the other side.
Once God has deepened us, He can give us His deepest truths, His most profound secrets, and will trust us with greater power. Lord, lead us into the depths of Your life and save us from a shallow existence!” (Streams in the Desert)
Without a deep commitment, our dreams are like this flower in rocky soil. It can only grow so much. I was deeply convicted this morning. I have allowed my dream of being a writer to be limited by my shallow commitment. I have been distracted by my own “impulses, impressions, intuitions, instincts, and largely on its circumstances.”
Excuses and distractions will forever block my path unless I am truly committed to writing. Unless I am willing to train and sacrifice like Rocky the fighter, my dream will wither in shallow soil.
Hopefully, you’ve been writing in your journal and praying about your dream. Before we go forward, we need to check our level of commitment:
Do you have the eye of the tiger when it comes to your dream?
When King David needed to build an altar to God, he sought to purchase a threshing floor from one of his countrymen. The man was honored and told King David to simply take it. The man offered his property to David as an honor. Read how King David (who God called ‘the man after My own heart’) responded:
But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” ~ 2 Samuel 24
Pursuing the dreams God tucked deep into our hearts will cost us something. Indeed, if we hope to honor God with our dreams, our actions must be sacrificial. There is a reason the movie Rocky was a huge success. Human hearts respond to sacrifice. Rocky trained hard. He gave up his own pleasure. He endured much physical pain to reach his goal.
Human hearts respond to sacrifice because we are made in the image of God. Somewhere deep in our soul, we are hardwired to understand that important things require sacrifice. Worthwhile pursuits are sowed in the deep soil of true devotion.
Fourth Assignment: write 3 things you must give up in order to give your dream the deep devotion it requires.
Prayer: Father God, help me with the depth of my commitment to You. I pray that You will be my deepest commitment, that my heart will seek You and Your glory above all else. In turn, let that level of commitment flow into turning my dream into reality. Let my dream be a sacrifice to You, Lord. Help me plow deep soil that will grow a beautiful garden for Your glory. In the powerful name of Jesus I pray. Amen!
