“But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.’” (Mt. 1:20-21)
Many life-changing endeavors start with a dream. Just look at Joseph. First, he received a dream telling him to believe Mary’s story. Then, he received a dream warning him to escape with the Holy Family to Egypt. And finally, he received a dream directing him to move to Nazareth.
Joseph both believed in and acted upon the dreams he was given. If he hadn’t, we might never have heard of Jesus.
I think we sometimes don’t realize or accept that God still speaks through dreams—both the dreams of the night and of the day.
I once had a dream that helped me to claim that I was a Christian. The summer after college I worked on the construction site of a nuclear power plant. Until then, I wasn’t sure if I was a Christian or not.
One night, I dreamed I had picked up a live wire while walking through some water and was being electrocuted to death. I woke up screaming, “Jesus, save me. Jesus, save me.” As my terror abated, it became clear that if I was going to call upon Jesus while dying, I also needed to call upon Him while living.
Running away from, ignoring, or denying our dreams from God is no way to lead our life. When we do, we only create inner restlessness, frustration, and hunger.
Today I encourage us to consider whether we are listening to, believing in, and acting upon God’s dreams for our life. If we aren’t, there’s no time like the present. If we are, then praise God and carry on.
God doesn’t give His dreams to only a select few, but to all. Listening to and heeding them is just as important for us now as it was for Joseph.
Reflection questions:
- What is the dream God has for you? Are you leaning into it?
- God’s dreams usually aren’t complicated, but clear and straightforward, and they are always about making a difference for others. What difference does God want you to make?
- If you don’t even know how to begin to know what God’s dream is for you, may I recommend you pray with this scripture: “For God alone my soul in silence waits…” (Ps. 62:1). The Lord responds to those who ask, wait, and trust.