What Are You Going to Be When You Grow Up?

Preacher:
Date: December 26, 2016

Bible Text: Col. 3:23 | Speaker: Darlene Sala | Series: Encouraging Words | “What are you going to be when you grow up?” we often ask kids. Depending on their ages, their answers progress from “I’m going to be a fireman” to “I’m going to be a basketball player” to “I have no idea—I don’t even know what classes to register for.”

We start out with great dreams and plans for the future. Everything is possible. But sometimes the further we go in life, the less we see our dreams becoming a reality.

Jane Chesnutt, former editor-in-chief of Woman’s Day Magazine, said, “To dream is a wonderful thing, but to make the very best out of a reality is ultimately more special, I think.”

I once spoke on being all God created you to be. I asked the question, “What do you want to do more than anything else?” Afterwards a girl came to me and shared her heart. She had a dream: to be president of the United States. The sad part was that as we talked I realized she had mental limitations. She was dreaming a dream but not dealing with reality. Rather than dash her dreams, I started asking her about what she could do with her life right now. Maybe she could take a class in some subject she always wanted to learn about. Maybe God created her to help with children or in a support capacity in church hospitality. I urged her to talk to her church women’s ministry leader for ideas—and then get to work for God now. God would guide her future.

If you don’t have an ideal marriage or ideal career or ideal kids, don’t let that stop you from making the best of what is reality in your life. Scripture says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Col. 3:23). Remember, “To dream is a wonderful thing, but to make the best out of a reality is ultimately more special.”

[1] Jane Chestnutt, Woman’s Day Magazine, 1994.