Dr Martin Luther King, Jr gave a speech on the 28th August 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. which is recorded in history as one of those spectacular dialogues that time and memory will not forget. It still rings true today. Here is part of it: –
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal ‘. . . I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today that one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.”
Such was the impact of that oratory that it has lasted the years. His dream has been partially fulfilled, and as I thought of that momentous discourse I turned on the recording I had made of the Glass Cathedral where Dr. Robert Schuller was speaking about the future, and mentioned that he would be 80 that year. The executive committee of the church had conferred on him the title of Founding Minister, and transferred the title Senior Minister to his 51-year old son, also named Robert.
With this development he was outlining his four aims for the future or, if you like, his developing dream. One part was to be the oldest preacher at the cathedral when he is 100. Knowing all he has achieved, and the longevity genes in his family, that may well happen, although our life destiny is in God’s hands. We cannot boast of tomorrow, but we all must plan past tomorrow.
Modern-day preaching emphasises a dream culture. Everyone must have a destiny, and follow it through to completion. There is no problem with that, for too many people just drift through life, but what if the dream doesn’t come to fruition. Some dreams of course will not be fulfilled by the person holding it, but by another who carries on the vision.
The sad thing is that there are many people in church life who have no dream or if they had it has died. Often the unwitting pressure from pulpits on congregations is immense. They are exhorted to be daily overcomers, have peace that passes knowledge and harbour joy unspeakable and full of glory. They are to have impeccable relationships, peerless marriages and self-satisfying employment. They are to be fruitful and rich, and come to spiritual maturity very early. A great deal of this is unrealistic and often borders on the impossible; it’s Iike me saying that at 81 I am going to break the world record in the 100 metres dash at the next Olympics.
The sad state is that many church folk have bad marriages, employment that bores them to tears, financial difficulties and debt. Their peace evaporated with the latest problem, and joy flew away so long ago they cannot remember what it feels like. Their vision statement is little more than how to get through another day. I believe that although the Bible says ‘I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me,’ (Philippians 4:13) there must be a sense of responsibility and sanity about it all. Glib talk fools no one and fills many with regret and sadness.
There are those people striving to be what God never intended, having allowed their personal desires to overtake spiritual sensibility. Indeed there are miracles of grace where God does the impossible through empowering an individual, who with tenacity, diligent application and a large dose of God, achieve what can only be called a dream of amazing proportions.
However, check your dreams against clear objective considerations and not like one person I met who wanted to enter the deliverance ministry but who was a schizoid paranoiac. God is more than able to help us through to our destiny, but ensure that it is God who is calling and appointing, and remember that often God wants people to do mundane ordinary things as part of His divine programme. Believe that you can do more than you think you can, but also there was only one Martin Luther King, Jr, amongst billions.
