"We Dared To Dream Big"

The Christian Post article of March 23, 2015, reported on the  35th Anniversary of Rick Warren's Saddleback Church telling how Rick said, "We dared to dream big and God has done big things in the life of this church."   The article also mentions how Saddleback Church started small and has grown to now boast of "14 campuses on five continents."   

It would appear that dreaming big is required.  The article emphasizes for us how it was the vision of the founding members that has made Saddleback the huge success it is today.   It would also appear that the size of your dream matters to God.    Think big, God responds with big. 

But before you start thinking that Rick's big success is because he or the people of Saddleback did something to deserve success, Rick announced humbly,  "God has blessed Saddleback church in an unusual way, but it has nothing to with us being deserving."

"Unusual?"

He's right about that.  There is something unusual about it all.  Usually, it's the gift of God in Christ, that of forgiveness, salvation, eternal life, that we do not deserve,  which a pastor will "preach" on, not the gift of "greatness."    

Perhaps he completely misses the fact that while he just said that is has nothing to do with them "being deserving" he also says that the blessing came because of something they "dared" to do.  He then goes on to dare you, to dream BIG.


"I dare you to dream big dreams for God." Rick Warren


"Dare?"

To dare someone to do something is not necessarily the same as encouraging them to have the courage in doing the right thing.  For example... someone might "dare" another person to do something dangerous or wrong.  The key to understanding a right response to a provocative "dare" is  to know what it is you need to do.  Sometimes there is wisdom in not acpting such a challenge' for example, Jesus, when the devil basically dared him to trust God and "cast himself down" from the pinnacle of the temple.  JEsus relied on what was written in the scriptures and we should too.

 The scripture was us of being vain in our imaginations.  See Romans 1:21, (KJV) We are to cast our vain imaginations down.... see 2 Corinthians  10:5.  It's best to give God control over both your heart and mind. The scripture tells us of filthy dreamers.... so why then does this man tell the church to "dream big".... and tell them to do this "for God."

 It sounds good....  but where in the scripture are we told we are to "dream" and does God need for us to dream "big dreams" for Him?   And what does Rick Warren mean when he says,

"All of our biggest dreams and best days are ahead of us." 
                                      Rick Warrnen, Christian Post article by Anugrau Kumar, MArch 23, 2015, www.christianpost.com

Is your faith in your dreams or in your ability to dream dreams....(big ones)....?  Is your hope in greatness and doing "big" things for God, or is your faith in Jesus Christ? 

Rick is teaching the notion that if you believe it, it will happen for you.... if you can visualize something, God will work on your behalf to make it real.  This is also known as "positive thinking," which is not taught as Christian doctrine in the bible. 

Contrary to Rick's encouraging words of how we must dare to dream big, the Bible encourages us to be humble and not to think of ourselves more highly that we ought to.  (See Romans 12:3)  While Rick teaches people that their prosperity is found in their ability to dream big and tells them that the best days are ahead, the Bible talks of our prosperity being found in Christ and kept by God.  The bible informs us to expect tribulation in the days ahead, but to take courage because God is for us, after all, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, Jesus and the gospel of truth.... that whosoever would believe on him would have eternal life.  It's the gift of God!

What good news!

 Jesus Christ died in our place.... and He rose from death to life.  He has overcome the world. 

Remember who is big and great.  It's God and he can do immeasurably more than we could even  dream.... or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)