Your WHY is More Important Than Your DREAM

You have a great big dream in your heart and you’ve stepped out in faith to pursue it.

At first you hesitated. Is this really from God? Am I the right person for the job?

You quickly settled these questions with an emphatic YES! God has called you to it – and you know… that you know… that you know – this is what you are meant to do.

I’d hazard to say there isn’t anything more powerful than a sister in Christ who is fired up to pursue the vision placed in her heart.

I love to see God’s people walking in their calling. 

When we say YES to Jesus – wherever He has placed us within His body to operate, we advance His Kingdom purposes here on earth. And oh how I love to see a great plan come together! 

But consider this…

Achieving your dreams will not be a comfortable journey. In fact, you are guaranteed the opposite. Trials, troubles, and even tribulation.

Sigh.

Jesus forewarned that in this world we will have trouble (John 16:33). And, do not think it odd when we are hated when pursuing His Kingdom purposes (1 Peter 4:12-14). 

Difficulties, distractions, disappointments and discouragement will be the tactics used by the enemy to derail us from pursuing our purpose. I often refer to it as the messy middle – when the excitement of the dream wanes and our commitment to do the work must move us forward. 

Many dreams are wiped out in the minefield of the messy middle. We lose heart. We grow weary. And we give up. 

Our most important protection against this demise? 

Know your WHY. It is the lifeline between the euphoria of your start and the ‘well done faithful servant’ of your end.

And when we look at it this way, it is clear that your WHY is a more important motivator than your DREAM. 

So let’s break it down. 

What is your WHY?

In a nutshell, your WHY will speak to the intimate reason(s) you have chosen to pursue your ‘thing’ – whatever your ‘thing’ may be. 

I believe it will speak in particular to your God given purpose, the vision He has placed in your heart and your personal values.

And your WHY will have impact that extends beyond yourself.

Your WHY will look different than my why. We are all uniquely different with distinct motivations. And for each of our dreams or big goals we want to achieve, our WHYs may actually be different.

For example, I have settled in my heart my WHY for pursuing a nursing degree. At first when the Lord whispered this into my ear several years ago, I was resistant. Certainly He could not have intended that as I approach my ‘middle years’, I return to school to learn a completely new skill after years within the financial industry?

Crazy right?

But as I continued to take one step forward, then another, then another, the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle began to come together.

And I realized His seemingly ludicrous suggestion wasn’t so crazy after all.

I decided three important things…

1. I want to be obedient to Jesus and go where He has called me to operate within His body.

2. I want to provide for my family and set an example of radical faith in Jesus Christ.

3. I want to glorify God and make His name known.

My WHY. Three motivations that are tied to my core values. 

And isn’t it interesting that nowhere do they explicitly relate to ‘making the world a better place’, ‘freeing the oppressed’, or ‘feeding the poor’. All of which, I might add, are vitally important and on the mind and heart of our Heavenly Father. 

Instead, my WHY(s) lead me to these important areas of great need as the Lord guides. He will make my desires, dreams, and goals align with His as I pursue His will for my life (Psalm 37:4). 

Have you determined your WHY? 

If not, it’s never too late and when you do, write it down. It will not be long before you realize how important doing so really is.

Why is defining your WHY important?

There will come a time during the pursuit of your dream, big goal, or God-given purpose when either the doldrums set in, difficulties wallop you relentlessly or discouragement knocks you off your path. 

Guaranteed. 

Welcome to the messy middle. 

This is where your mettle is tested. Not the importance of your DREAM but rather your willingness to push through with perseverance to seize hold of your dream. 

Will you give up? 

The answer to this question is found in whether or not you have determined your WHY.

It is your protection during the messy middle. It gives you a clear picture of what is really important and firmly plants it within your heart, mind, and soul.

And when the thoughts arise, and challenge you to ‘throw in the towel’, ‘cut your losses’, ‘move on to something else’, your WHY is a clear reminder of the reasons you embarked on the journey in the first place. Your WHY will motivate you to push through the messy middle and lay hold of all the Lord has prepared for you.

Creative ways to remember your WHY

So it’s settled. 

Your WHY is critically important to achieving your DREAM. Without it, your DREAM will remain, just a dream.

Given its importance, I’ve come up with 5 creative ideas to keep your WHY always before you – especially when the going gets tough.

1. Write it down in your faith journal or daily planner. Add a tab to the page as a quick reference when you need it.

2. Draw a picture that depicts your WHY. I’m not an artist by any means but many of you are. You can express in a picture what may take me a thousand words to describe. 

3. Create a graphic (Canva or Pickmonkey are great tools) and add as a screensaver to your phone or a print that can be displayed on your desk or wall, etc.

4.  Make a wallet card that you can carry with you. 

5. Add to your vision board.

Whatever your preference, create something tangible that you can refer to at a moment’s notice. 

Your DREAM is important, but even more important is your WHY. Don’t pursue your dream without it!