But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. – 2 Corinthians 11:3
We all have hopes and dreams. Whether they are big or small, there are things we want to be or want to happen in our lives. Some of these hopes and dreams we desire more than others. A dream job, getting married, becoming famous – whatever it may be we pray earnestly for it, hoping one day God will answer our prayers.
All good things come from God but sometimes Satan uses good things can prevent us from following and worshipping God. The serpent is cunning, and he knows exactly what buttons to push to make you slowly and, in some ways unknowingly turn your back on God.
When a dream or a hope comes to fruition, we are ecstatic. Finally, we have what we’ve always wanted, and we praise God for it. As we continue living the life we’ve always dreamed of, we begin to want more of it. We start off by missing the odd Sunday here and there. This gradually becomes more frequent as we continue to pursue our dream and to build on it. Before you know it, you’re disconnected from God and Satan has you where he wants you.
At some point, you decide whether consciously or unconsciously on what is more important to you. For some, the hope or dream wins and for others it is God. We become blind and only see what we want to see. Our reasoning becomes tainted by our own desires. We still see and think it is good, but we are oblivious to the damage it is doing to our soul.
How can something that seems so good end being so bad for us? God gives us what he knows we are capable of handling. He wants only the best for us. It is when we desire more than that, the trouble begins. Satan makes sure things still go right but only to benefit him and make you lose sight of God. You may think that you are on the right track, but your soul has lost its way.
For a dream or hope to be really fulfilled, we must learn to handle it well. The first lesson is to remember that God is more important than any dream or hope. The dream or hope will only last as long as we live. When we die, it is over – it is finite. God is infinite and wants you to live the ultimate dream with Him in Heaven. Satan’s main objective is making sure you don’t get there, and he will use anything to make that happen including using people and situations that are good.
If it distracts you from following and worshipping God, how good is it really? Even if you sacrifice your dream or hope to continue to follow God, you can be sure that He will give you something that is a whole lot better. Just be careful not to become distracted and keep your eyes upon Him.
Originally published August 2018