When to Stop Chasing your Dreams in Order to Let God Reshape Them

Letting God reshape a dream you have spent years chasing after is hard. Everything in your soul wants to continue chasing your dreams, but that’s not what you’ve been called to do as a child of God.

Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.  So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.  Then the word of the Lord came to me, ‘O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done?’ declares the Lord.  Jeremiah 18:4-5

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Dreams, aspirations, goals, life expectations…

I truly believe all of them come from the Lord as you learn to follow and listen to Him.

BUT, sometimes those dreams, aspirations, and desires were only supposed to be for a particular season in life.  You weren’t supposed to chase after them forever.

I’m sure you’ve experienced this!

There was a season of life where I just knew God wanted me speak, teach, and write about Him more.  As a result, everything in me wanted to be awesome at speaking and writing. I wrote constantly, agreed to speak at everything I was asked to speak at, and was ecstatic to do so.  

Then there was a point where God said stop.  And I didn’t want to.

It was right at the point where my writing was starting to increase in popularity.  I had an offer for someone to pay to film and promote a 3 part series I had written. Influential people were offering to help push me into the next level of “ministry”.  

Yet at that very moment, God said stop. This life and dream I was chasing and becoming wasn’t the pottery He wanted me to be. What?!!

I fought against His “stop” for awhile

Working hard and chasing diligently after my dreams made me believe the lie that I could make myself successful.  My heart truly wanted to chase after this dream I had worked so hard to attain. I guess there’s a reason the Bible warns us that “the heart is deceitful above all things.”

But there’s a truth nestled in scripture that we all have to learn through experience at times. There are times when God gives you some talent, wisdom, and skills to accomplish a specific task,  and then he wishes for you to step aside, stop chasing your dreams, and let someone else take over.  

Stepping aside is hard.   

As a follower of Christ, true success is willingly letting the potter rework you into another vessel if He chooses.  Believing His reworking you is keeping you from being “flawed and unusable” is difficult.  Especially when the world around you tells you you are pretty amazing the way you are and just to chase whatever dreams are in your heart.

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Often  letting go of chasing our dreams and letting God crush and squeeze and shape us into another vessel that is to his liking is the most “successful” step we can make to advance the Kingdom of God.  Even when letting go doesn’t make sense.

How willing are you to be reshaped if God so chooses to do so?

I mean really and truly willing? Because here is the truth. God has a better purpose for you than to simply follow your dreams. He wants your heart, and for you to find satisfaction in him. He knows how to give you peace and joy. And if chasing your dream is keeping you from experiencing all He wants to give you, the dream needs to go.

Not because he is mean. But because he loves you enough to give you what you need.

So if God is asking you to stop chasing your dream for a season, grieve and then say yes. Trust Him that if he’s asking you to stop, it’s for a reason that can be trusted. He will make it clear when you can go again.

Promise.

(For help grieving as you let go of your dreams, this post might help)