Awake

"I want to travel the world and see so many places!" "Then do it!" "I don't have any money..." "Well then get a job and work until you do. If you have these passions, go out and live life." "I don't want to get a job...that would make me too busy in life." She concluded as she sat back down to enjoy the latest romantic comedy that she had rented. I have had many conversations like this with people.

"I want to write a book one day." "Then write one!" "No, I don't have time and I don't think people will read my writings...maybe one day though." He said as he returned to reading his favorite author. I have said these very words many, many times.

How often in our lives do we do this? How often do we dream of living a better life, but convince ourselves that we cannot live up to that? How often do we think that one day in the far off future we will be able to finally live out those dreams? Why is it that we think our dreams will be handed to us on a silver platter? Why is it that we wait around until things seem to feel right? What is it that we are missing out on by not living in the now? By not pursuing those dreams and passions right now? If we are truly passionate about something shouldn't we want to do whatever it takes to live that dream? Or is that all this generation is: a bunch of dreamers who don't live?

Recently, Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee wrote a book series entitled the Mortal trilogy. I have not had the privilege of reading them yet, but to my knowledge they tell of a world where people are dead and do not realize it. Where all emotions except for fear have been eliminated and so people do not live out passions and dreams because they no longer exist. Then in this story, I am told the main character discovers there is an Order that has vials of blood that will awaken people to emotions. That it will awaken people to truly live again. Thus ensues this grand adventure to awaken the world from being dead. (Deepest apologies to any inaccuracies to the book).

At first glance when one hears of a book trilogy like that they may think: Wow what a great dystopia, it's a good thing we aren't like that. But I would like to ask, are we like this? Do we get caught up in fear that we do not live out our dreams? Or even more frightening do we get caught up in our comfort that we do not truly live? Do we need an Order of Christians to remind people why Christ came? To awaken us to be people who live?

God empowered us with His Spirit to go out and do incredible things in His name. To further His kingdom in a variety of different ways. God gave us passions to direct how we, specifically, would build His kingdom. By not enacting these passions, by not following our dreams, are cheating God? Do we have the audacity to say that God's gifts through passions aren't good enough and we shouldn't be so idealistic? Or should we do whatever we can to live out these dreams all for God's glory?

Now, when reading this it could be easy to think I am talking about simply one's vocation. Those thinking that may argue, "Not everyone has a passion for a particular vocation. Not everyone feels a calling." To that argument, I would agree. That is why I am not talking about vocation. I am talking about the things you want to do with your life. What you want to be known for. What you desire to do. By living out these dreams with God leading you, you are truly living life.

So, my challenge is that we would stop saying what we want to do one day, but that we would work to do that in the here and now. Will it take time to enact these dreams? Sure, but the time we invest in preparation will make the dream all the more worth it. The point here is not to rush through preparation, but to encourage people to actually get up and figure out what they need to do to live out these dreams. To choose to live and then act on that.

"Awake O' Sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light." -Ephesians 5:14b