From the time we are little children, we are told to dream big. The world holds endless possibilities for those who can dream the dream big enough and then somehow make it happen. The power is in our hands. As we try to make sense of this for ourselves, we also teach it to our children.
What do you want to be when you grow up, child? Do you want to become a famous athlete, actor, singer? Do you want to be a successful doctor, lawyer, executive? Do you want to become a well-known artist, speaker, writer?
Do you want to be famous, successful, well-known, well-loved?
Reach for the stars, my darling. The sky’s the limit, little one. You can do anything you want to do. You can be anything you want to be.
As our children grow, the fanciful dreams of the early years become the oppressive nightmare of college preparation. Is your GPA okay? Did you study for the SAT? What about the ACT? Should you take that, too?
Are you smart enough? Are you well-rounded enough? Are you good enough?
Forgive me if I am being contrary, but I think we are dreaming in the wrong direction. We tell our children to dream big while we decorate our homes with signs that say things like live simple.
What are we even talking about?
We crave simple. Then we complicate. We drum into our children all the things that they have to do to prepare for what they will someday be. We take them to school and church and practice and rehearsal and training and specialized classes. Then, when we finally take them home, we are too tired to tell them the things about life that we really want them to know.
Even the modern Christian call to “do big things for God” is drumming the same dream-big rhythm. But the Bible has a different idea of what life’s dream should be. Are you ready for the big dream, God-style? Here it is:
