Blog 32: The FIGHT Series (Part 3) —Fight For Your Influence

When You Know The Dream Will Never Come True— What Do You Do Next?

It’s sobering to think that dreams once held dear will never come true. When circumstances conspire to dash long-held goals and aspirations.

When there is more time behind than there is ahead.

When you stare reality in the face and realise that the time has come when you recognise that the dream will never come true. . . What then?

‘He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.’ —Micah 6v8 (NIV)

All my life I’ve wanted to do great thing for God. The Bible heroes inspired and encouraged me. Moses, Joseph, David, Esther, Mary, James, Jude and Paul . . . People of influence who had to fight for their beliefs, made strategic differences and impacted history.

I wanted to think like them, act like them, have faith like them and make a difference like them.

I wanted to be that medical missionary, caring and touching lives.

I wanted to climb the corporate ladder and become a CEO.

I wanted to be a pilot, flying for Missionary Aviation Fellowship impacting remote communities.

It never happened!

‘Lord, You put me here for a reason and I’m asking why. I’m no longer young. What can I do?

What happened to those dreams of yesterday?

Were they real or tricks of the mind?

I want more from life, but time’s a wasting.

Surely there is more to live than this? I want to live my life for You, to use the latter years of my life to impact the world for you.

Isn’t that a dream You would approve of?’

‘My child, when does a candle show its integrity?’

‘Lord, a candle shows it’s integrity when it’s lit and placed in a dark place.’

‘My beloved child, that’s exactly what I want you to be. I want you to be a candle.’

‘But what if I want to be more than a candle?’

John Maxwell indicates that leadership is not about position. It’s not about being the pastor of a mega-church, a board member, a worship or a connect group leader.

Leadership is much more subtle and profound than that!

TWEET THIS— ‘Leadership is about influence and that’s something that all of us can choose to do.’

Not all of us are called to be CEO’s of large companies, doctors, nurses or lawyers. Not all all of us are called to be movers and shakers in industry and commerce. The world needs check out chicks, refuse collectors and janitors too. Regardless of our status in life, what I do know is that we are all called to be disciples of Jesus.
Discipleship is not something that happens over night. It’s takes a lifetime of development and grit. It’s becoming more and more like Jesus, That takes a lifetime of discipline.
Influence doesn’t have to be a deliberate act on my part. It can be me asking ‘what is the next right thing to do?’ Or ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ It’s a simple question, but it requires me to seek the mind of Christ and that’s primarily achieved through daily prayer and reading the Scriptures.
God may not be calling me to do great things for Him. Perhaps he is calling me to specialise in the little things, to be one of his ‘grey men’, an unrecognised disciple, blending into the crowd, never noticed, hiding my skills and qualities. Like Ananias (Acts 9), or the widow (Luke 21) That’s fine, I can live with that.

When faced with the question—how can I influence this situation, perhaps the simple answer is: Do The Next Right Thing.

What I have learned

God expects me to be reliable in the little things.

If I want to be happy, I must trust and obey Perhaps that’s what God is trying to teach me.

Even when the dream appears dead, He expects me to stand firm, be a person of light in a dark place.

What is God saying to you about your past dreams and your aspirations for the future?

Call To Action:

Today:

Make a deliberate choice to spend time alone with God daily.
Read or listen to the Bible, cover to cover. (Keep at it for 90 days to start with and it will become a habit!)
Take time to pray early in the day. Make this a regular habit too.
Let go of your regrets. God is still willing to take our lost dreams our failures and our lost opportunities. He will take our mess ups and use them in a supernatural way to influence and disciple others.
Journal—Write down your observations, see the change that God brings about in your life, and the lives of others.
Become a person of influence—in your family, workplace and church.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, when I can’t see any real purpose for what I do, remind me that you simply require me to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with you. I accept that you know what is best and I submit to your good will. Show me what is the next right thing to do. I love you. Amen.

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