Guest Writer: Wemi Opakunle
If you have set out to do great things or live an extraordinary life, there will inevitably come a point in your journey when you will need to carry yourself to the finish line. In spite of how many people support you and your dreams, your faith and belief in yourself and God’s promises for your life will be your only saving grace.
When you have a big dream, It’s always nice to have a support system of friends and family believing with you and in you. Like I said, it’s always nice and this usually happens if you’re lucky. Most of the time, there are just a lot of naysayers and doubting Thomases wondering out loud about how you’re ever going to be able to bring your vision to life.
Whenever I think about dreams, I think about one of the biggest dreamers in history –Joseph. I wonder what it must have felt like when his dreams which symbolized his eventual greatness and power caused him to be sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. When he was falsely accused of the attempted rape of Potiphar’s wife and thrown in jail, I wonder if those dreams that he once saw so clearly started to become blurry. I wonder if he started to doubt God’s plan for his life.
Joseph wasn’t the only one who had to hold on to his dreams when no one else believed in him. I think about David who was anointed King as a little boy and his long journey to claiming the crown that was destined to rest upon his head. I wonder about the thoughts and especially doubts that ran through his mind when he was was hiding out in caves while being hunted by Saul.
If David’s situation was bad, I can only imagine what Abraham was going through. Specifically told that he would be a father of nations, he couldn’t even muster up one child with Sarah. How was he supposed to be a father of generations with no one to carry on his name and legacy? I can imagine the whispers amongst his clan and I can certainly visualize how he felt each passing year with promises unfulfilled.
When you are in the trenches of doubt and hopelessness, I want you to think about those who came before you. Big dreams require big journeys and big journeys need big faith. In spite of the crumbling walls around you and the time that keeps passing you by, you have to believe that you will see the manifestation of your promise. When no one else believes, you owe it to yourself to keep believing. Stay the course and don’t even think of turning back!