Matthew 6:33 (KJV)
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
As a Christian working the Lord’s vision in your heart, you must remember some key principles regarding your spiritual journey. Our dreams, visions, and aspirations are very important to us, but they should never be our main focus or our first love. At times we can work so tirelessly that we find ourselves neglecting our spiritual upkeep. It takes great discipline to monitor that area of our lives, and now and then, the Lord may need to send a spiritual reminder.
One day as I was praying, the Lord put you in my spirit. I heard Him say, “tell them, dream big but seek first.” I have been there myself. You find yourself working day and night trying to be diligent in what the Lord has given you, and by the time you look up, the day is gone. You haven’t prayed, worshipped, or praised God. Before you know it, one day turns to a week; you find yourself missing worship services. Your Bible has cobwebs, and then a little sin has crept in.
But God is sending this reminder to help get you back on track. He would never want us to be consumed more with the dream than Him, the dream giver.
A GIFT CAN GET YOU THERE, BUT GOD IS THE KEEPER
The Bible tells us that our gifts will make room for us and put us before great men (Proverbs 18:16), and that is true. The thing that the Lord has graced you to do will indeed take you places. But the Bible never said that it would keep you there. I’m reminded of Joseph, who had a gift to interpret dreams. This gift put him before Pharaoh (Genesis 41:1-36). But Joseph understood that while the gift brought him to Pharaoh, it would be God to keep Him there. He realized that God was the one to provide the interpretation, and he was only a vessel (Genesis 41:16).
There is an excellent lesson in this story. All over the body of Christ, people place so much emphasis on a gift. But gifts have never been the determining factor into heaven. Believers and unbelievers have gifts; but, what makes the gift distinct is when it has been sanctified and blessed by God.
LOVE GOD FIRST
Joseph was a dreamer like you and me, but he loved God. The evidence of the love for God was not in how wealthy and powerful Joseph became; it was in his keeping of God’s commandments. We hear people everywhere saying they love God, but the Bible says in John 14:15 that a person’s love for God is confirmed by keeping His commandments. When Joseph had the opportunity to commit adultery, he obeyed God’s commandments. When he could render evil for evil to his family, he showed love and followed God’s commandments. Despite how hard it was to obey God, Joseph did it, and God brought his dream to pass.
There are no short cuts in God. Your obedience and seeking will not hinder the dreams God has given you; it solidifies them.
As we work on the things the Lord has given us, whether it be business or ministry, we should never be willing to compromise or neglect our relationship with God. Anything we put before God becomes an idol and that breaks the first of the ten commandments (Exodus 20:3). Seeking God is a lifestyle, and He has given me three keys to help keep us on track.
1. Remember the eternal goal.
This earth is not our home; we are just passing through. Our souls are more important than our dreams. When we stand before God, He won’t ask us about our business. He wants to know if our names are in the book of life (Rev 20:15). Our names are in the book through living a holy and righteous life before God. Any sin needs to be put away. Sin brings a separation between people and God. Blessings belong to the obedient. We would be fake and phony to obtain blessings from God, and we don’t even live for Him. I understand that no person is perfect, but habitual sin is more than a problem; it’s a practice.
2. Pray continually.
The Bible says, pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17). One thing that I practice is seeking God first and early. I love to start my day with prayer and praise. Pray for your soul and the souls of others daily. Ask God to keep you spiritually intact that you remain pleasing to Him. Whatever issues or struggles, petition the Lord for deliverance. It is His will that His people are clean.
3. Don’t lose your praise.
Like Joseph, there can be many hardships, discouragements, and losses on the road of dreams. But no matter what comes your way, never stop praising God. Never allow the enemy to steal your ability to see the good in God. Although there may be things that happen along the way that are not good, know that the good God has the final say. If He said it, then it is sure.
I pray that this has helped and sharpen you today. This is a message of love. Operating our businesses and ministry are good things, but we cannot neglect our God in the process. He desires us to prosper in the soul first and everything else after (3 John 1:2).
Blessings.