DENNIS GINGERICH

“Every dream is created twice.” I can’t remember who to give credit to for that phrase but it stuck with me when I first heard it. The idea is this. The first creation is mental. Every invention, every business, every building, every art piece is conceived in the imagination first—our right brain. It’s just an idea at that point. The second creation is physical. You make it happen by doing something.  

Growing up, I pretty much always heard a particular scripture verse interpreted in negative terms.  2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  I understood it this way. Take sinful thoughts captive and keep them out of your mind. And that is very important.  But I love the flip-side.  The other half of a very important truth. How about capturing creative thoughts and keeping them in our minds? Why not focus on stewarding every idea inspired by the Holy Spirit?

• If your dream is to write a book, you make it obedient with a keyboard.

• If your dream is playing a professional sport, you make it obedient at the gym.

• If your dream is starting a business, you make it obedient through one action at a time.

Your dreams will never exceed your imagination. You can’t achieve what you don’t believe. So idea generation is important. But idea execution is where the rubber meets the road.  I like dreamers. I love to hear visions of new and exciting possibilities. They make me think outside the box. And I applaud the dreamer’s ability to plot. But I love doers even more. They inspire me to action. And it’s the plodders, not the plotters, who make things happen.  It’s the doers who leave a legacy to be experienced by the next generations.

God isn’t going to say, “Well planned, good and faithful servant.” He won’t say, “Well thought, well said, or well strategized my child.” There is one commendation spoken of by Jesus: “Well done, good and faithful servant”(Matthew 25:21).

Dreaming is great.  Setting goals is good. Carrying them out is another story. Without perspiration to match your inspiration, your dream imagined will turn into a dream delayed.

What are you waiting for?

Maybe it’s a healthier lifestyle. Maybe it’s a graduate program. Maybe it’s a business or a new ministry?  Maybe it’s to write a succession plan?  Whatever it is, the hardest part of finishing is starting.  John Rampton gives 5 Ways Dreamers Can Become Doers in Entrepreneur magazine.  Start by reading and implementing these practical steps.

Going after a dream is like riding a bike—you’ve got to get a little momentum to really get going.  Consider this your push.

QUESTION:  What God-given idea do you have that needs to be acted on? Maybe your first step toward execution is sharing it with others in the comment section below.