“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” — Proverbs 16:9
Pursue God’s Dreams
Whether it is standing on an Olympic pedestal, hoisting the Stanley Cup or, for me, jumping on a Women’s College World Series dogpile, all athletes dream of becoming champions.
In the end, though, these accomplishments will fade away. Former players cannot remember wins and losses, only times shared with teammates. Furthermore, I know that God will not judge me based on whether or not I earned a trophy in Oklahoma City.
So, is giving everything I have to an earthly achievement a worthwhile endeavor? As I chase my softball dreams, am I running to or away from God?
Author Chris Stefanick explains it this way: “The dreams you have are yours because God gave them to you.”
Not only are my abilities a gift from God, but my burning desire to be an excellent softball player is from God as well. Proverbs 16:9 says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” So we may indeed chase the dreams in our heart if we recognize who put them there.
God cares more about the people we become as we chase our dreams than whether or not we accomplish those goals. He establishes our steps in every relationship we develop and every place we go. We must use our fields as platforms to glorify Jesus Christ. We must strive to love our teammates as Jesus Christ loves us. That fire within us was lit for a reason — so that in pursuing our dreams we may shine not for our own sake, but for the sake of sharing the light of God.
Chase your dream. God gave it to you.
— Amelia Jarecke, University of Maryland softball
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