follow the dreams Jesus gives you

Follow the dreams Jesus gives you | Acts 16:9-10 | Image by Carabo Spain

 Acts16:9-10, NIV
"During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them."

I wrote last time about the unbiblical viewpoint  some commentators promote that suggests Paul was special and none us can be as influential in the \kingdom as he is. But I want to encourage you not to be settle for less so here is my second observation - taken from Paul’s life - of a way you can be more Paul. This month it's to be passionate about Jesus and follow the dreams he gives you.

Paul is one of the most influential figures in human history. He channels all his energy into building the Church, he dreams big. But he is not driven by goals, actions, or ambitions. There’s nothing wrong with a good plan, but we don’t change the world by having a great strategy. We change the world by having a great Saviour.

Paul proves this. He has an idea for a missionary journey to Asia, but the Holy Spirit blocks it.[1] Then Paul dreams of a man from Macedonia who asks him to come and help them. And it makes no sense for Paul to follow that dream - it is two hundred miles in the opposite direction and involves a sea crossing - but he goes.

And he goes expecting to share the gospel in his normal place which would be to men in the town’s synagogue. But - when he arrives - there isn’t a synagogue. So he can’t preach to men, but he does find a group of women at a prayer-house by the river. One of whom is Lydia, an independently wealthy business owner. She and her entire household are baptised. It is in her home that the church at Philippi first gathers and she is most likely the person who leads that congregation. It is likely, too, she becomes a patron of Paul’s and helps fund his ministry. Imagine the extent of her influence. And imagine how much would have been lost to the Kingdom if Paul hadn’t followed the dream.

When we are passionate about Jesus, driven by our love for him, and filled with an insatiable longing for others to know him he takes us on the most extraordinary journey. And sometimes we’ll think we’re heading one way and doing things the way we’ve always done them, but he will completely change the direction and stir us up to do something new. And in doing that he will achieve more through us than we would ever be able to achieve for ourselves.

Be more Paul. Be passionate about Jesus and follow the dreams he gives you.

Until next time

x

[1] Acts 16:6-7