While we should dream big in our service for God and the church, ambition is the necessary

part of the church's mission in the world and that includes our own big lofty goals.

But how do we guard against those lofty plans really just being an expression of our own

self-aggrandizement?

Here's a specific question from a listener named Natalie.

Hello Pastor John, I hear a lot of Christians today talking about having big dreams and

dreaming big for God in light of God's sovereignty.

How do I think about this?

I don't want to use God's sovereignty as an excuse to not work hard and achieve all

I can.

But how do the concepts of having big dreams and waiting for God's plan work together?

It seems to me that the concern behind this question is that our ego in the pursuit of

big dreams, we may be so eager in that pursuit that we try to make a name for ourselves and

either miss God's plan for us or maybe fail to rely on God's power in us.

So at root, I think Natalie is saying there's a possible ego issue here.

But here's the catch, it's so helpful to me to realize.

Here's the catch.

Here you have no dreams, cautious dreams or big dreams.

There's always an ego question, an ego battle.

You can't escape it by choosing small dreams.

If you have big dreams, this may be owing to ego exhibition.

If you have cautious, careful dreams, this may be owing to ego protection.

...