Skip to content
Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Youtube
DONATE
Intentional Life
  • Listen
  • Watch
  • Read
  • Attend
  • About
    • Stay Connected
    • Membership
    • Contact
    • Share your Story
    • Who Is Jesus?
    • Found on Family Life Radio
    • Free Resources
  • Donate
  • Listen
  • Watch
  • Read
  • Attend
  • About
    • Stay Connected
    • Membership
    • Contact
    • Share your Story
    • Who Is Jesus?
    • Found on Family Life Radio
    • Free Resources
  • Donate

Where to Find a Dream Worth Pursuing

  • September 12, 2016
Picture of Dr. Randy Carlson

Dr. Randy Carlson

Dr. Randy Carlson

In the last blog post we talked about why it’s important to find a dream worth pursuing. These are the God-given dreams that fill the restlessness inside us. So how do we find those worthwhile dreams, the ones that point people to Christ and satisfy the longing in our hearts? How does God get ahold of our hearts? Here are ten ways God gets our attention.

[su_vimeo url=”https://vimeo.com/181973598″ width=”900″ height=”460″]

1. Crisis – God can use turmoil in our lives to move us from just doing stuff to living His dream. Sometimes that looks like a major health crisis or divorce or losing a child. These things will change our lives. And they provide an opportunity to stop, fast, pray and consider what God is doing in the situation.
2. A Need – Sometimes God uses a need around us to help us find our dreams. What are the needs in our communities? In our world? In our families? Seeing those needs as opportunities may summon dreams we never imagined.
3. Training – Jesus spent three and a half years training His disciples before sending them into the world. God prepares us before sending us, so we can consider how He’s training us now.
4. A Burning Bush – In the book of Exodus, Moses was taking care of sheep when he saw a literal burning bush. “And Moses said, ‘I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned’” (Exodus 3:3 ESV). If he had not paid attention to that burning bush, I don’t think God would have talked to him. In America we can be so busy, and God will shock us sometimes to get our full attention.
5. Family Legacy – On his deathbed King David charged his son Solomon with the throne and the kingdom. A family legacy can be a heavy responsibility, and no one should have a call based on someone else’s. But sometimes God uses family to open our eyes to bigger dreams.
6. Personal Relationships – This can be a tricky one because if the relationship goes south, do does the dream. We should do everything we can to make sure the dream is really God’s intention for each of us.
7. Causes – It can be easy to be swept up into causes, but these come and go. If we’re going to have a dream worth following, it has to be rooted in more than a cause. But if a cause tugs at our hearts, we should consider how God would have us engage with it.
8. Other People’s Actions – Joseph in the Old Testament was treated terribly, thrown in a pit, sold into slavery and imprisoned. But the actions of others opened the door for him to save an entire nation. We’ve all been mistreated. Lost jobs. Left behind. Passed over. It’s not what happens to us. It’s what happens in us that makes the difference.
9. Influence – Scripture reminds us that, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required” (Luke 12:48 ESV). God allows us to have influence, and if we’re not using it to bring people to Christ, we’ve missed the dream.
10. A Simple Call – This is a term that’s often used in the Christian community. For Matthew in the New Testament it was simply Jesus saying “follow me.” Peter was in a fishing boat when he was called. We can listen to what God is asking us to do and follow that call on our lives.

You and I have a responsibility to make sure whatever dream we’ve developed is from God. Ultimately if we’re not pointing people to Christ, we’ve failed. When we have an eternal, spiritual perspective, our lives will be changed along with those around us.

[bctt tweet=”How do we find worthwhile dreams? Here are ten ways God gets our attention.” username=”TheILCenter”]

Go Deeper

Has this article been encouraging? Take your intentional life in Christ to the next level and you can receive ongoing, monthly coaching from Dr. Randy Carlson. Become a member of the Intentional Living Center today with your monthly gift of any amount.

Donate Button

Recommended Product

 

Popular Posts

Everyday Forgiveness

Good friends are good for the soul, providing positive experiences, motivation and inspiration for life

Read More »

Challenge Your Assumptions

Many things in our lives today are completely out of our control, so we give

Read More »

inTENtionals for When to Fix or Finish a Friendship

Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. (Proverbs 2:11 NLT) Friendship

Read More »

inTENtionals for Marriages That Last

  Top Ten List of What You Can Do to Build a Marriage that Lasts

Read More »

How Thankful Are You?

As we move into Thanksgiving and Christmas, a question arises: How thankful are you? Are

Read More »
Previous Next

Related Articles

Clearing Space for Peace

The Rest We Refuse

The “What,” “How,” “Where” and “When”

How to Have More Ah-Ha Moments

Site Links

  • About
  • Statement of Faith
  • Ways to listen
  • Donation Info
  • Financial Statements
  • Prayer Wall
  • Who Is Jesus?
  • Share Your Story
  • Free Resources
  • Contest Rules
  • About
  • Statement of Faith
  • Ways to listen
  • Donation Info
  • Financial Statements
  • Prayer Wall
  • Who Is Jesus?
  • Share Your Story
  • Free Resources
  • Contest Rules

About

Intentional Living National Ministry Headquarters | PO Box 35300 – Tucson, AZ 85740 | (800) 776-1070 EFCA Tax ID #38-1812892 Charity Navigator

Latest Episodes

Clarity of Purpose – Part 2

June 20, 2025

Physicist Steven Hawking wrote: “Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it.” But… what if there is more to life than

Read More »

Clarity of Purpose

June 19, 2025

Physicist Steven Hawking wrote: “Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it.” But… what if there is more to life than

Read More »

Subscribe to our weekly broadcast and updates

Support Intentional Living

Your donation makes a difference!

DONATE!

Social

Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Youtube
© 2025 Copyright A Ministry of Intentional Life Media. All rights reserved.    Privacy Policy

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.

decline
Accept & Close