eric bauman
Hopes and Dreams

When I was growing up as a kid I had a vision of what by life would be. I had hopes and dreams of what my life could become. All of my desires seemed very within reason. I felt almost entitled to those things, like I deserved them. The life I wanted and the life I got were worlds apart. I could not imagine the life crushing things that happened to me. Seeing all of of my hope crushed and my dreams cruelly stolen from me.
The problem with hopes and dreams, is they may not line up with what God has planned for us. We can often get caught up with this world, to the point that it becomes our everything. There are things we must have and must do. The idea of not being able to obtain these things is inconceivable. We are not the only ones with hopes and dreams for our lives. God also has hopes and dreams for our lives. God had a plan for each one of us before we were born. You might say his plans supersede our own, and you would be right. God knew exactly how he wanted each person to be. He knew how he wanted them to live there life and what he wanted them to do.
For the average lost sinner, Gods plan will be of none effect in their life. They have made up their mind. They will be their own God. God let's them have their way. Unfortunately it does not end well for these people. You see God only allows his children into the kingdom of heaven, and since they were none of his, he will not let them in. These people will instead be cast into the lake of fire. God does not force anyone to do anything. He lets each of us make our own choices. These choices however do have consequences. The consequences for the unbeliever is an eternity in a literal hell, burning forever. The consequences for a believer will be chastening in this life.
Hopes and dreams can be dangerous, because they can lead people away from God. For the lost man they can keep him from ever finding God. They can keep him/her to preoccupied to ever seek the truth of who God really is. These people fall in love with the world and themselves, seeking only to fulfill their own desires. The saved can fall into this same trap. They put their hopes and dreams above all else. It can get to the point, where nothing else matters. This can be a recipe for disaster, because unlike the lost man, God will punish his children in this life. He does not do it out of spite or anger, he does it to teach. A child must be taught right from wrong. One of the best teaching tools is stern discipline. God will do everything in his power to get his children to live the lives he wants for them. God wants his children to follows his hopes and dreams for their lives. When a persons hopes and dreams do not line up with God's, there will be a major problem. God will win. He will crush their dreams into the ground and humiliate them in doing so. If he has too, he will make them a laughing stock. He will literally destroy their life. This seems so cruel, and believe me it sure feels that way, but God has a plan. God loves his children and knows what is best for them. He will do what it takes to get his children to live a for him. In doing so, God will begin to bless there life. Hopes and dreams that were crushed can come back in new and better ways. There will also be new desires that weren't there before, that can make the old dreams seem less important.
Do not get to caught up by this world. Seeking happiness in the world, having your best life now. The best thing to do in order to have a happy life, is to ask God what his will for your life is. God will not answer in an audible voice, but it will in time become apparent what he wants. God has ways of reaching us and guiding us. Ask God to guide your life and he will do you no wrong. This world is seductive. It is run by the Devil, to draw people away from God. Do not get caught up in it and the desires of it. Instead humbly submit to God and follow after him.
I hope you enjoyed this article. If you are not a Christian, I invite you to get saved now. Tomorrow may be to late. To get saved all you have to do, is admit that you are a sinner and that Jesus Christ died for your sins. The only way to take away sins is with the pure shed blood of Jesus Christ. Good works can not take away sins. If they could, then Jesus Christ died in vain. Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead as payment for all sins. Once you believe that, you are saved forever. You did nothing to earn it and you can do nothing to lose it.
Romans 3
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 5
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
I Corinthians 15
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Romans 4
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
II Corinthians 5
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.