I have never been into New Year’s Resolutions.  I have a Psychology degree, and I don’t need that to tell you that most people give up on their resolutions by the end of January.

However, I do love setting goals.  I love dreaming.  And I really, really love achieving.  (Probably too much.)

Sometimes I struggle with wondering if dreaming is okay.  I mean, aren’t we supposed to trust God with our future?  Whatever He wants to happen will, right?

Yes, God can pull the “God card” and make things happen.  God is all-powerful (omnipotent) and all-knowing (omniscient).

But God calls us to get up off our rear ends (as my four-year-old likes to say, our boodies) and DO something. 

Consider Abraham.  God has HUGE plans for Abraham, but Abraham had to pack up his life and travel to an unknown country for an unknown amount of time (Genesis 12).  Then God made him the father of many nations (Genesis 17:4-6).

Now think of Moses.  He was given a life of luxury as an adopted son of an Egyptian princess, but then he was called to leave it behind to lead the ungrateful, whiny, faithless Israelites out of Egypt.  God used him to lead His people to the Promised Land.  (His story takes up most of Exodus.)

Think about your favorite Bible hero or heroine.  How did God tell them to act in order of God to use him or her?

I love the story of Esther.  She had to go to the king, and if he didn’t extend his scepter to her in favor, she’d be killed.  No pressure, right?  But she trusted God and went, knowing that her entire people’s lives were at stake. 

It’s a new year.  It’s time to take action.

But it would be stupid to act without a plan.  

Proverbs 21:5 (ESV) says, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.”  

This is a principle, not a promise.  Those who plan hard and work hard are those who tend to find the most success.  Those who are lazy and just go with the flow are more likely to be stuck in poverty.  Maybe not financial poverty, but they never get the fulfillment of seeing their dreams come true.

I firmly believe that God gives us hopes and dreams.  Sometimes we have dreams that can lead us from God, especially if we start to put those dreams before Him.  When you have dreams, I encourage you to pray and ask God if the plan is from Him and how you can best go after achieving your dream.

God doesn’t want to frustrate you.  In fact, He has big plans for you!

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope,” (Jeremiah 29:11, ESV).

This is a promise God made to Jeremiah, but there are enough verses like in the Bible that He wants good for us, too (Isaiah 41:10, Romans 8:28, John 16:33, 1 Peter 5:7, etc.). 

But He wants us to act.

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV) says, “For we are his [God’s] workmanship, created in Jesus Christ for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

God has a plan for us.  A good plan.  A wonderful, fantastic, great plan!

I already confessed I let fear get in my way.  I’m done.  I’m ready to chase what God has for me.  Will you join me in chasing your dreams?