I was confronted with this question a few years ago by another book, “The Dream Giver” by Bruce Wilkinson; and I remember at that time thinking, “No, I don’t have a big dream.”

It made me feel kind of inadequate, like “What kind of loser am I, that I don’t have a big dream?”
But then I realized that I have had a lot of dreams in my life that have already come to pass.
For example, I dreamed of having a wife and children, and being a successful family man.  I dreamed of working in Christian radio, and now I’ve done that for about a quarter century.  I feel gifted and called to teach based on the Bible and I’ve done that in several formats over the years, including this format, Apples of Gold.  I’ve dreamed of keeping myself healthy and in shape, and I’ve done that.
I could go on and on, but none of this did me any good while reading Maxwell’s book.  It’s not about dreams that have already been fulfilled.  What he wants to know is, what is my dream right now, my dream for the future?

Well I don’t have a big dream.  I don’t dream of being president or governor.  I don’t dream of being world famous or getting my face on TV or billboards or magazine covers.  I don’t dream of “hitting the big time.”  I don’t know why.  Those things just don’t excite me.

So I’ve been reading this book, and thinking about it, and praying about it, and I keep asking myself, “What is my big dream?”

Well the good thing is, the book has some guiding questions.  On page 21 it says, “To better understand yourself, answer the following:

What would I do if I had no limitations?

What would I do if I had only five years to live?

What would I do if I had unlimited resources?

What would I do if I knew I couldn’t fail?”

Does anything come to your mind when you hear these questions?  Maxwell says that your God-given dream might be found in your answers.

So I pondered these questions, and here is what I came up with.

It’s based on First Thessalonians chapter one.  Paul writes “…our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.”

It’s also based on First Corinthians 4:20 which says, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.”

Do you see a trend here?

I am a teacher and a communicator.  I can blab on and on and on if I have to.  I emceed a holiday event over the weekend and basically talked for three hours.  I did a radiothon one time where I was on the air for 12 hours.  It can be done.

But that is not what I want.  I don’t want to hear myself talk.  I don’t want to add my hot air to all the other hot air being bellowed about.

Here is the way I see it.  Most words are thin and shallow.  They are cheap and hollow.  Oh, they can be loud and blustery, but listen – do they have power?  And by that I mean the power of God.
In First Corinthians one, Paul said that Christ sent him to preach the gospel “not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”

He went on to say that the message of the cross “is the power of God.”

So a message, the right message, God’s message has power.  We can communicate with human wisdom, or we can communicate with the power of God.

That is my big dream!

I don’t know how to bring it to pass, but Jesus talked about being “endued with power from on high.”
I feel gifted and called to teach and to communicate, but it must bear good fruit in the kingdom of God.  I want to plant godly seeds that go deep into people and bear good, eternal fruit that replenishes itself long after I’m gone.

That’s what I would do if I had no limitations.

That’s what I would do if I had only five years to live.

That’s what I would do if I had unlimited resources.

That’s what I would do if I knew I couldn’t fail.

I would communicate “not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.”