I have always been a dreamer. As a small child, sometimes I dreamed of being a Cowboy, Superman, Batman, a famous actor, and a Heisman Trophy winner, just to name a few. My dreams were partially motivated by my selfish desire to be recognized. However, my dreams were also motivated by an inward desire to impact my world. This desire is a God given desire common in mankind. We are uniquely made to personally impact our world. The Psalmist David recognized this and said: I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. (Psalms 139:14) Maryanne Williamson said it this way:
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
I also dreamed of being a preacher. At a very young age, my first cousin and I would often pretend we were having church. He would lead the music and I would preach. (Really, we did! I would tell you to ask him, but I’ve left his name out on purpose to protect the guilty. lol) In reality it was only him and me, but I dreamed of preaching to a multitude! This dream increased in intensity when at the age of fourteen the Lord touched my life in a special way and I recognized He was calling me into the ministry. I still remember the emotion provoked in me as a teenager by a song from a Music group in the 70’s named Dogwood. The first sentences of the song were: I’d love to stand upon a mountain and look down upon the world and see a thousand times a thousand people and tell them all what Jesus did for me. I’d love to travel all the highways of all the nations and the seas and show the ones who are travelling in darkness the light that shines upon the road for me. The desire to impact the world here and abroad would sometimes literally bring me to tears.
Too bad neither my dream nor my passion equated effectiveness!
I had zeal, but “not according to knowledge” (Rom. 10:2) Sometimes my methods were insinsitive and harsh. Being right was often more important to me than the people I tried to help. Other times my passion was squashed by guilt. Still, I felt compelled to do something for God. Throughout history, many lives have been destroyed by people who thought they were doing something for God.
Then through a personal revelation of God’s grace, my ministry forever changed. Now I know that one of the signs of a heart touched by grace is the expression of love. Being touched by grace does not guarentee we are right! Grace is not a reward to the well informed. The message of grace is the most powerful and enlightning message I have ever heard. Yet, the expression of grace is more powerful and enlightning than words can express. Truly grace touches the heart before it penetrates the head. Grace is not a doctrine. Grace is God’s presence and ability freely given to those who will receive it.
Have you ever thought about where God had the love chapter (1 Cor. 13) placed in the Bible? The placement was divine. It is in between two chapters that talk about the gifts of the spirit and the proper publilc use of them. To accomplish their purpose, God’s gifts of grace must be empowerd by His love. The heart of grace is to love. We must never put the message above the expression. A grace awakening means a love awaking, because love is a face of grace.
I’m still a dreamer. I dream of a large church, large responses to the message of the gospel, a large world wide impact, and large offerings (I guess that’s the preacher in me). I dream of family vacations, exotic anniversary trips with my wife, and consistant golf rounds below par. I dream of success, fulfillment, and salvation for my children and grandchildren. Yet, my greatest dream of all is this: At the end of my life those who have known me will unmistakingly, unforgettably and undeniably know they have been loved. If I accomplish this, I know I will have allowed the grace of God to express through me the essence of life itself.
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