How Can We Tell if Our Pursuit of a Dream Comes from God?

When I first sensed the call to become a communicator, numerous doubts stalled my steps. My greatest struggle, however, came from my fear that I’d heard God wrong. I’d tasted the emptiness that came from chasing my desires, and I didn’t want a second dose. I believed He had better plans for me.

Perhaps you can relate. If we want to experience all God has for us, we must ensure that exciting assignment or brilliant idea indeed came from Him.

Here are some principles I discovered in my pursuit of divine assignments.

1. God Makes His Will Clear

I have yet to meet someone who hasn’t felt overwhelmed when first considering their God-given dream. He asks some to leave a well-paying profession to launch a struggling nonprofit, and they worry about their ability to provide for their family. He invites others who are, perhaps, accustomed to remaining in the shadows, to courageously step onto a stage. He’s also been known to place some of the most powerful gifts in some of the most broken bodies. Therefore, one might expect such individuals to question whether or not they “heard” God correctly.

I’m encouraged to know that He takes full responsibility to make His voice and ways clear. One example comes from the book of Judges. In chapter six, we learn that a powerful people group invaded the Israelites’ land. Verses 2-5 state:

“Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds.  Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count them or their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it.”

Desperate and likely starving, God’s people cried out for help. He responded by raising up an unlikely “hero” named Gideon, who received his call while threshing wheat in a wine press. In essence, the man was hiding his actions and his food. The Angel of the Lord, which many scholars suggest was pre-incarnate Christ, appeared to Him, and said: “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12).

We see Gideon’s wrestling in the conversation that follows.

“The Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?’ ‘Pardon me, my lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.’ The Lord answered, ‘I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive’” (Judges 6:14-16).

Wanting additional confirmation, Gideon asked the Lord to verify that He was indeed the one speaking. God responded by causing fire to flare from a rock and consume an offering Gideon brought. He provided additional assurance in verses 36-37:

“Gideon said to God, ‘If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised —look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.”

God did as Gideon asked, only that wasn’t enough to allay his fear and doubt. Therefore, he asked to see the opposite — a dry fleece on wet ground. Again, God graciously provided the additional assurance.

In my case, God clarified my call several ways and numerous times. He instructed me with Scripture, sermons, gentle whispers in my soul, and the steady encouragement from Christ-led people who knew me and retained my trust. He is such a gracious Father who teaches us to recognize His voice and repeats Himself as frequently as our timid hearts need.

2. Our Call Brings Deep Fulfillment

When I first sensed God inviting me to speak and write, I fought Him and chose instead to work toward what felt like a more financially secure career. The longer I resisted the Lord’s will, the darker and emptier my world became. Worse, Jesus felt increasingly distant.

Longing to sense His presence, I finally told Him I’d follow however He led, regardless of where I landed, so long as I could once again walk closely with Him.

That was over ten years ago, and while my journey has been far from easy, I’ve experienced soul-deep satisfaction, even during my most challenging moments. While temporary achievements and high-dollar paychecks might entertain us for a time, we cannot enjoy true and lasting fulfillment outside of God’s will. This makes sense, considering He created us and therefore knows what most makes us come alive.

During what I refer to as the “rejection” phase of my career, when nearly every query I sent received a polite but firm, “No thank you,” I held tight to the promise tucked within Ephesians 2:10. This verse reads:

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

This reminded me that God Himself crafted my assignments long before I took my first breath, made my first mistake, or experienced my greatest disappointment. The fact that I’m His handiwork, or masterpiece according to the New Living Translation, suggests He formed me to fulfill those unique plans. In other words, His plans for me are always a perfect fit. Pursuing them, then, creates a sense of rightness deep within my soul.

3. It’s Consistent with Who We Are

I once heard a communicator share how she hated podcasting and only did so out of obedience. Her statement revealed the common fallacy that serving should feel like drudgery. But this is contrary to the heart of God and the life to which Jesus calls us. He didn’t come to load us down with mind-numbing labor or to force us into an ill-fitting mold. Instead, He came that we might come vibrantly alive (John 10:10).

That doesn’t mean our assignments will feel like vacations or that they won’t ever surprise us. But as I’ve contemplated my journey over the years, I noticed threads of my deepest passions woven through them all.