Don't Let Money Stand in the Way of Your Dreams

Have you ever been told “Dream Big”? We sure hope so.

Here at YWAM Salem, we believe God invites us to “dream big” with him. Maybe you’re dreaming about getting a degree, traveling the world, working for a specific organization, or even doing a YWAM DTS. 

But here’s the thing about those dreams (and most dreams): they cost money.

How can you follow your dreams, and overcome the barrier of finances? 

Like us, you may struggle with the fear of not having enough financial resources to pursue your dreams. But we’ve discovered a set of questions which have allowed many people to address that fear, and overcome it.

Question 1: Is God Trustworthy? 

It’s easy enough to say that we trust God, but when it comes to money, a lot of the times we feel like we can only trust our bank accounts. We need to start by asking the question “do I trust God?”

Let’s observe one person’s experience of trusting God in the Bible. In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he thanks the church for being prayerful and financial supporters of his missionary journeys. Next, he exclaims, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Leading by example, Paul has demonstrated how God can, and will provide for every need—including money. But greater than financial support, Paul has discovered the faithfulness of God in all things. He challenges the church in Philippi to do the same. 

If you’re a Christian, you may know in your head that God is trustworthy. But stepping out into the unknown to pursue your dreams will allow you to experience this concept in real life! 

Question 2: Is Your Dream Worth Chasing? 

When I was 13, I had a dream to buy a Volkswagen van, travel the world, and to tell everyone I met about Jesus. It was the first time I had ever considered missions as a dream, but I quickly forgot about it a week later. Fast forward 5 years, I graduated high school and was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I remembered the dream of the van and traveling the world telling people about Jesus, and I felt God nudging me towards that dream once again. 

So I asked Him “is this what you want for me?” I never heard the audible voice of God, I didn’t see the clouds part with signs from heaven, but I did feel a passion and excitement I had never felt before. To me, that was God’s way of showing me it was worth it.

Do you feel God nudging you towards your dream? Whether that is to be a long term missionary in Africa, or to start a local business, we challenge you to ask yourself: “Is it worth it to you, but more importantly, to God?” This is the hardest question to ask because we don’t know what the outcome, or the price will be if we chase our dreams. We need to welcome God into the process of deciding if our dreams are worth it. Because if we trust God to provide, why shouldn't we trust Him to help us figure out if the dream is worth it?  

Question 3: Are You Ready to take a Chance? 

If you believe your dream is worth it, and are eagerly trusting God to provide, are you ready to go for it? Taking the leap of faith to just do it can be exciting, scary, and full of unanswered questions, but isn’t that the joy of doing something new? Taking a chance you’ve never taken before? 

So how did my dreams pan out?

After asking myself these questions, I took the chance of following my dream of missions by signing up for a Discipleship Training School (DTS). I didn’t know what the outcome would be, or where the money would come from. I just did it. I put my full trust in God, knowing He knew my dream better than I did, and He would provide for it. And He did. All the money needed came in over time; sometimes it took effort on my part, and other times it was God simply blessing me. That was the beginning of God showing me that with Him, my dreams could become a reality, and money didn’t have to stand in the way of them. 

Are you ready to take a chance on your dream? 

Do you feel like you need a place to start? YWAM Salem could be the starting place for your dreams to become real. By doing a DTS you will discover more about who God is, and how He works, and put what you’ve learned into action on a 2.5 month outreach overseas. 

This is your time to chase your dreams, money’s got nothing on you - and nothing on God!