Okay, so it finally happened. What you’ve waited on for years. Maybe you got the dream job. Better salary. More responsibility. Better fit. Flexible hours. Your dreams come true! But wait.
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Only after taking the job do you discover that more responsibility means you’re managing people, and people bring challenges. Flexible hours mean you never feel like you’re working enough. And along with that salary come more expenses.
Why is it when our dreams come true, it’s a lot like before?
There’s a good reason.
Life in the Dream is Still Just Life
It’s not just the dream job. It’s reality for all dreams come true:
- You’re marrying the man of your dreams. He is so confident, a great leader, and of course, handsome. You dreams come true, but six months into matrimony, you discover the confidence, leadership, and looks carry with it a huge ego.
- You’re moving into your dream home. More square footage. Better location. Better interest rate. Your dreams come true, but now you have more yard to mow and more house to clean. And your next-door neighbor is a jerk who plays loud polka music.
The Downside of Dreams Come True
Part of the problem is that while a new situation may offer new perks, it also offers new challenges. It’s still just life.
Solomon revealed this principle:
He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity. —Ecclesiastes 5:10
This doesn’t mean we turn pessimist: Nothing is great! A better perspective is a realist: Nothing is perfect.
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It’s never the drawbacks of the neighborhood, the job, the spouse, the (insert your dream here) that make us chase the dream. It’s the blessings.
But there are more blessings—far richer ones—to find.
3 Hidden Blessings All Along
I have discovered 3 truths about dreams come true:
- The blessings you saw are still there. If you think about it, the drawbacks you failed to see don’t remove the blessings you did see. The blessings are still there and are still reason for giving thanks. The hard parts don’t have to overshadow them.
- The greatest blessing come from the hard things you didn’t see. I say this because the tough parts you didn’t see are revealing the hidden parts of your heart. I mean those parts the Father unearths in order to shape your character and to give you opportunity to reflect Christ to a watching world. The hardships you didn’t see are part of the plan. God is shaping you because He loves you. The greatest blessing? Your changed life.
- We have to find our delight in life in God, not in God’s blessings. This isn’t Plan B because Plan A didn’t work. The problem is that we started with Plan B (our plan) and there is only one plan God designed. Both blessings and trials should point us to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. When they don’t, we’re following the wrong plan.
Tell me what you think: What have you learned after your dreams coming true? To leave a comment, just click here.