The time is now
Many of us have heard when we were younger, “you can be whatever you want to be when you grow up.” However, some of us, me included, realize that as we were told that adage, the ones who told us this don’t exactly believe in the “whatever.” Some adults believe that the “whatever” is exclusive to a job that requires a college degree and provides full benefits. Having a creative job is intangible; it’s insecure. Some adults believe that once you set your path on one career goal, you can never change your career path. Due to their upbringing and their experiences, these adults invertedly teach us to rely on companies and benefits as a sense of security.
Some children grow up and eagerly adopt the belief of job security. Whether the job was the career they wanted all along or the career they picked for security, they are extremely happy with their life decisions. However, some of us, don’t have that same testimony. We still have dreams on the inside of us that we are scared to share because we believe we’ll be scoffed at. We want to trust in God and have full faith that He’ll provide for us, but in our heads, we are battling the false sense of security the adults have drilled into our heads. We make plans to continue working our 9-to-5 jobs and work on our dreams on the side, but we get discouraged because of how long it will take us or life gets in the way. The enemy starts whispering to us, “we aren’t good enough,” “it’s an oversaturated market,” or “we’ll fail.” As a result, we tuck our tails and lower our heads until we get the next encouraging word or learn about a celebrity/influencer who took a chance and went after their dream. Then, the cycle repeats all over again.
For those who desire a dream that isn’t receiving encouragement from your circle, I would like to remind you of Joseph. He literally had a dream that his brothers would bow down to him and in a fit of jealousy, they sold him into slavery. However, Joseph didn’t let the deterrence get him down. He performed with a spirit of excellency in whatever he did and eventually, he was highly regarded in Egypt. According to Genesis 41:43 (NLT), he was “put in charge of all Egypt.”
The enemy has effectively distorted the truth that God can do anything. We tend to only associate that belief to people being healed from sickness and providing a way to pay for bills. When it comes to us chasing our dreams, we tend to look like Conceited.
We forget he turned a shepherd into a King, a stuttering murderer into a leader and a common Hebrew woman into a queen. God is the same God yesterday, today and forever more (Hebrews 13:8). If He can do it for them, He can do it for us!
Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV) says: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,” which means He knew your future dreams, aspirations, personality – all of it. The text says He “formed” us, which means He created us with these things. He put our desires and aspirations in our hearts to serve Him. He gave us our gifts and our talents to golorify Him. Therefore, it doesn’t matter what man says; it only matters what God says. If God says write, write! If He says sing, sing! If He says create, create!
The enemy “comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10, NIV), and he does that by using negative comments and statements by loved ones, gatekeepers and more. He will send obstacles our way, but to get to the Promise Land God has for us, we must hold on to His promises and give it all we got because “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:17, NKJV).
Drake once said, “We only live once,” so let’s make the most of it and follow the dreams God placed on the inside of us.
The time is NOW!
