Let’s look at Holley Gerth’s “You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream: Opening the Door to All God Has for You.”- Part 3

The last couple of posts we have been looking at Holley Gerth’s You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream: Opening the Door to All God has for You. In the first part of this series, we looked at Holley’s claims that we are all made for more, how to determine if we have received a God-sized dream, and what a dreamer’s heart looks like. In the second part of the series we looked at what comes next for those who have been given God-sized dreams and what to do with our fear. We compared some of her claims to Scripture and took a little extra time to look at what it says about fear.

Today we are continuing on to part 3 of this 4 part series as we dive into chapters 6, 7, & 8.

Now, conventional wisdom calls us to take some time and think about the consequences that can result from our choices. A wise person will count the cost, and prepare for what may come when making big decisions. It is a prudent person who looks ahead and prepares for danger while those who do not are described as simple in Scripture and suffer for it (Prov.27:12). One who anticipates trials and hurdles and plans what they will do, is one who will not be caught off guard when and if they should come. One who is wise will gather many wise advisors and seek their counsel when making plans (Prov.15:22). This is Holley’s goal in chapters 6, 7, & 8. She gives disclaimers and advice on how to press on and pass through the most common issues we may face when going after our dreams.

Chapter 6: The Disclaimers

Holley wants us to understand that certain expectations can knock us off our paths to our dreams if not confronted so she includes what she calls disclaimers. These are bits of insight that she holds to be important to keep in mind as we pursue our God-sized dream.

For Disclaimer #1,You Will Never Feel Ready, she goes into a story of a time when she received a packet of seeds from a local farm she visited. Day after day she told herself she would plant them but continually put it off till months had passed and the opportunity to plant that year had passed. She claims that just like those seeds our dreams can be put off for fear that we’re just not ready. So to counteract this she tells us that after we know what God has asked us to do it is then time to act.

“Yes, there are times for waiting and proactively seeking God’s voice. But when we already know what he’s asked us to do, it’s time to plant. ‘sow your seat in the morning, and that evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well’ (Ecclesiastes 11:6). Don’t wait until the time feels right. Don’t wait until you feel ready. You will wait forever”(pg.107)

Now I find her use of Ecclesiastes here very interesting. If you’ve ever done a study on this book you would know what it is about: Vanity. That everything under the sun that is done, without the fear of the Lord and apart from His commands, is done in vai; is worthless. Let’s look at this verse in context shall we? 

 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;  before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain,  in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed,  and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low—  they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets—  before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern,  and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.

 Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.

The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd.  My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. -Ecclesiastes 11:6-12:14

This is completely fascinating to me. The writer of Ecclesiates starts off by telling us that we do not and cannot understand the work of God. By mere observation of life, youth, work, and death we can see that while one may put one’s effort into life, youth, work, etc. death comes and strikes it worthless. Yet, in the end the Author instructs his son to reject the many books to which the study of their topics brings weariness, but the teachings and writings that are given by one Shepard, the words of truth, that instruct us to fear God and keep His commandments, these are not worthless. Why is that? Because God will bring every deed into judgement, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Here’s what this passage implies in regards to Holley’s teachings in this book: that regardless of whether you feel you were called to a dream or some life purpose, in the end, the result of that dream or purpose will be worthless if you and I did not fear God and keep His commands. I can raise up a large mission to which I feed and bring up many out of poverty. Yet, come judgement, it will be worthless in keeping me from God’s wrath and eternal punishment if I even told one little lie, thought one lustful thought, coveted something I did not have, and did not love everyone as I love myself (Jam.2:10). The whole duty of man is to fear God and obey his commands. That is His instruction, that is His purpose for all men.

Holley goes on to warn us that there will be times when (disclaimer #2) we will not like our dreams and (disclaimer #3) there will be times when you will feel alone.

In disclaimer #4, Success Will Look Different Than You Think, she explains that sometimes God can “…move the finish line just before we think we’re going to cross it. He changes up the course…He’s doing that so we remember that success is not about results. It’s about a relationship. God is not all that interested in your getting things done. If he made the world in 7 days, there’s nothing he can check off his to-do list without your help. What he wants on this journey to your dream is intimacy with you. Success is simply: obedience”(pg.115).

Notice that she means the obedience to the God-sized dream. We are to obey God when we receive a dream and pursue it and when we obey we become more intimate with God. 

Except this is not found in Scripture.

Instead Scripture tells us what to do so we may do the works of God. Purpose driven/Dream doctrine in essence rejects the law.That is what God has called us to and because we transgress it we are separated from God. This is important  because no amount of obeying some dream we believe God has given us will bring us intimacy if we transgress even one of the 10 commandments. God sent His Son to fulfill the law and obey so we can be made right with God through faith. And this is the work of God, that we trust in Christ (John 6:28-29). The dream is not what gives us intimacy. Christ is what gives us intimacy. Success IS about obedience, and if Christ has given us His obedient life, then biblical success is about Christ.

Holley goes on: “With God, there aren’t ‘have to’s’ involved. He gave us free will. With him, all the steps of our dreams are ‘get to’s’. I get to take this promotion so I can make a bigger difference. I get to make this company a success so I’ll have more resources to share with those in need. I get to reach this goal so I can glorify God”(pg. 115).

Let’s contrast her ‘get to’s’ to Paul’s ‘get to’s’: Paul got to share in Christ sufferings, to be lashed like Christ, to be weak with those who were weak, to suffer and be poured out as a drink offering for other Christians (2Corin 11:23-33, Phil.2:17). Paul got to glorify God in his death. These are the get-to’s in Christ Jesus.

Disclaimer #5 is that One Day This Dream Will Be Your New Normal. As we grow through life, so do our dreams. And as we are chasing the dreams, God reveals himself to us. “Each new dream he places in your heart and has you pursue is an opportunity to know him in a different way. Maybe one dream reveals his faithfulness. Another shows you his strength. Then the next one helps you discover his infinite tenderness“(pg. 119).

I’m sorry but our dream does not reveal God in this way. God, in His Word, has revealed to us His faithfulness, His strength, His tenderness, etc. Dreams in our hearts do not do this. In fact any experience or lived out dream does not reveal God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit and His kingdom like Scripture does. Peter tells us that Scripture is more sure than any experience, so much so, that he instructs us to pay attention to it as a light shining in a dark place (2Pet.1:16-21).

The problem with making the claim that each dream is an opportunity to know God in a new way, is what conclusions one may come to about God and His character if the dream should fail, or lead them to suffering, or even, death. Human wisdom takes these types of occurrences and claims that God is upset, that we did not have enough faith, that He does not exist, or perhaps goes as far to say God is evil. Yet it is Scripture that tells us that He works all things out for the good of those who love Him (Rom.8:28). It is this revelation given to us by the Holy Spirit, through Paul, that we can trust that in sufferings, evil, and death God works things for good. All experiences are limited and tainted because they are observed through sinful flesh. This is why Scripture is so important. It judges our experiences and our thoughts (Gal.3:10), revealing the truth, and who God, the Son and the Holy Spirit are, and what they have done. 

Chapter 7- When Your God Size Dreams Go Wrong

We all have had times in life when we seem to be thrown, what the world calls, curve balls. Those times when we are just living life and then something happens that seems to take us in a different direction than we thought we were going. Holley anticipates situations that may come during your pursuit of your dreams that may vere you off course or stop you in your tracks. Those are the times when your God-sized dreams appear as if they are going wrong. In this chapter she discusses what to do if and when things aren’t working as we expected. 

One of the things she encourages us to do when our God-sized dream gets derailed is to try again. She points out how some of us tend to give up on things especially if they are not going as we plan. Just like the characters in the Old Testament, we are to be like them and never give up no matter what is placed before us.

“When we look through Scripture, the paths to dreams being fulfilled are full of zigzags and ‘try agains’ along the way. David was anointed by the prophet Samuel and told he would one day be king. Yet the years that followed were filled with the current king, Saul, chasing him through the wilderness and attempting to take his life. Talk about a detour! Joseph got sold by his brothers and unjustly thrown into jail before becoming second to Pharaoh. It’s all about being faithful where we are and refusing to quit until we see the vision God has placed in our hearts become a reality”(pg. 127).

The Scriptures are not stories about men going after and fulfilling their god-sized dreams. They are about God’s faithfulness to use sinful men to bring the Messiah. David and Joseph are archetypes of the Messiah. David, a king who conquers a giant, fore-shadows Jesus conquering Satan. Joseph’s story has so many similarities to Christ. Chris Rosebrough does a great job showing Christ in his podcast “Fighting for the Faith” episode…titled For the Students of Liberty University (to listen click here). Mr. Rosebrough does a fantastic job expositing Christ from the text and giving examples of how it’s often used to tickle people’s ears.

Holley continues: “Listen closely: if you have heard the call, then you must go. God will make sure you get to where he wants you in the end. Try try again”(pg. 128). If you’re called, you better obey. She’s right God is God. If He calls you it is with authority. And He is a good God; He’s not a God who leaves you in the dark or in any way unclear about what He commands of you. It’s all found in Scripture. 

To be told you must find your purpose/dream and must do it/go is quite a burden. It is a burden that disguises itself as flattery (which we will get more into in chapter 9’s critique). Oh, yes, it’s wonderful to feel that God needs us so much to fulfill this god-given dream that only we can accomplish. But it does it at the expense of the calling that His word has given us. It makes us look outside of Scripture for direction in our lives, neglect what direction is in God’s Word, and lies to us that we are actually doing what God demands.

Among “changing your perspective”, and “guarding your heart”, as ways of dealing with your dreams when things go wrong, we are to remember that it’s never the end. Just like how the rain eventually stops, the problems that come along as we chase the dream will end too. The rain will never flood your dreams and wash it away.

“For 40 days, water floods the earth. Noah and his family float on an ark, wondering what will happen next in the earth’s story. Finally, a rainbow appears – a visual promise that God will never again flood the world. Yes it will rain. But never again will the water overcome. I believe that promise applies to us too…you will not be flooded by disappointment to the point you can no longer keep your head above water. You will not be washed away without God realizing what’s happening“(pg. 131-132).

If only you could have seen my face when I read this section. 

The promise in the rainbow, does apply to us too! But it’s not a promise that our dreams will not be flooded away, that God sees and will keep them afloat. The promise is so much better. He promised that He would not wipe clean the whole planet of humanity again and foretold of the future Arc that would save His people from the final wrath to come (1Pet.3:18-22). The promise of the rainbow transcends dreams, goals, and our purpose. It was and is a promise that God righteously executes judgement, and at the same time, is gracious to save the undeserving.

Chapter 8- How to Stop Sabotaging Yourself

Sometimes it is not things outside of ourselves that hinder our God-sized dreams but that which comes from within. When this happens, there are a couple of things Holley suggests we do to get us back on track. One of these is to remember that we’re only human.

“You don’t have to be afraid that your limitations will keep God from accomplishing what he wants to do through you. Even Jesus grew tired, got thirsty and hungry, and had other human limitations. What does that tell us? Being human is not a sin. God can and will accomplish all he wants to do in and through you. Your limitations won’t prevent that – but pushing yourself to the point of burnout just might”(pg. 139)

Yes, Jesus humbled Himself, and took on flesh (Heb.2:14-15). He took on human nature to perfectly, completely, obey and fulfill the law (Matt.5:17) because we, humans born of Adam, are under a curse. While being human is not a sin, all of humanity is under the curse of sin. This curse is what Augustine coined as original sin. We sin because we are born of Adam (Rom.5:12). It is our nature. This is the curse that Jesus sets us free from (1Corin. 15:22; Rom.5:19; Gal.3:10-14).

She’s right that our limitations do not keep God from doing all that pleases Him but there is one specific limitation that effects us. This limitation kept us from God Himself. Sin keeps us from God (Hab.1:13). Scripture tells us that we were dead in trespasses and sins (Eph.2:1). Being dead, I would say, is definitely a limitation. It is a limitation that kept us from God, the ultimate good.  He loved us so much, that while we were His enemies He sent His Son to reconcile us to Him (John 3:16; Rom.5:7-8), and while dead, made us alive with Christ (Eph.2:4)  This is the Gospel, this is what the whole of Scripture is about.

Here’s a question about these statements: Our limitations won’t prevent God’s work but pushing ourselves to the point of burnout just might? So… God’s will can be prevented if we become burnt out? Is our burn out stronger than God’s will? If God is limitless, and can more than makeup for what you and I are lacking, wouldn’t He just make it so you would never burn out? Or even give us strength to go through the burnout? 

She then goes on to motivate us to simplify our life as this can be one way in preventing ourselves from sabotaging our dreams.

“The goal isn’t to avoid stress but instead to realize that both kinds cause withdrawals from our emotional and energy accounts. What does this mean for your God size dream? You have made a decision to designate emotional and energy funds in a specific way. That naturally means that there is less to go around elsewhere“(pg 145). 

I completely agree that the God-sized dream you feel God directing you to do will take up time and energy. This is another problem with this doctrine. If we are not in Scripture looking at what God says His will is for us and what good works look like then we will pursue the dream and neglect God’s Word.

“When you say yes to a god-sized dream, you are committing to a significant investment in your life. That means cutting back on extraneous emotional and energy expenses in other areas. Because many dreamers are big- picture idealists… We often underestimate the “cost” of what we’re undertaking. Jesus put it this way: ‘suppose one of you wants to build the tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and I’m not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying ‘this person began to build and wasn’t able to finish’ (Luke 14:28-30).

These verses are talking about the cost of being a disciple. And, ultimately, that’s what we’re talking about too. This isn’t just going after the “more” you want in your life – instead this is about saying yes to God and following him faithfully through God-sized dreams. There is always a cost.

Is it worth it? Oh yes. But being able to finish well means, as Jesus says above, understanding the cost and planning for it ahead of time.”(pg 145)

Let’s look at Luke 14:28-30 in context:

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.  For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?  Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’  Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?  And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, anyone of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

 What does God say is the cost of being a disciple? To give up all possessions to follow Christ. Except this is not what she’s talking about here. She’s talking about giving up what we might spend our energy on that does not help us accomplish the god-given dream. Holley equates discipleship with following our purpose. But counting the cost to walk faithfully through God sized dreams is different than counting the cost to follow Jesus. See… One makes us give up for a supposed purpose, to which the purpose fulfills ourselves. Instead, to be a disciple of Christ we give up all our possessions and carry our cross, laying down our lives for Jesus, who tells us to love our neighbor day by day, minute by minute. The giving up, the counting the cost, is just like He said: He who loses his life will gain it (Matt.10:37-39). But it is a life with the goal being Christ not the god size dream which is about us and what we need to do to accomplish it. 

Paul explains this beautifully in Phillipians 3:7-11. Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ  and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. The cost of being a disciple is our lives, our energy, and our efforts to gain Christ and be found in Him. 

Another way we can sabotage our dreams is by trying to go after it alone. Holley directs us to get connected, to find other people who will mentor, ladies who will encourage, someone we can train; who is just starting to pursue their dream, and women who will cheer us on. Then she warns of who we don’t need.There are three types of people she explains that we don’t need to listen to. “Avoid negative people as much as possible”(pg.149) as they will shoot holes in your dream and get you discouraged. “Be ready for doubters”(pg.149) who tell you that your dream is silly or foolish. And “stand guard against bullies”(pg150) who intentionally oppose your dream.

 As I am one who is critiquing this doctrine that Holly is teaching I would definitely put myself under the bully that god-sized dreamers don’t need. And that’s fine. They can call me a bully. If you have sat through this critique and thought this about me, I would ask: am I speaking the truth? Are the concerns I’m bringing up based on God’s word? Are they legitimate? Does Scripture instruct us to pursue the dream/desire/purpose we feel God is directing us to do? Or does it give us more concrete instructions to follow, instructions that are not about us but about our neighbor such as our husbands, children, homes, etc? Would I be wrong in telling a woman who follows these doctrines to look and focus on what God says to do in Scripture instead of some dream supposedly from God?

Now that we know who to avoid, Holley explains that we have to decide to be on our side.

“It’s time to stop coming against us and instead stand with God as we say, ‘I’m not perfect but I’m deeply loved, made in God’s image, and have everything I need to be all he’s called me to be’”(pg 151)

For myself, I do not have everything I need to be all He’s called me to be. I, one, need Christ and His righteousness. Two, I need Scripture, God’s word, because it is what thoroughly equips me for all that God calls me to do. It equips us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). How about you?

Holley also claims that what we say about ourselves matters. “When you wound yourself with your words, it’s the same to God as if you were doing it to someone else in your life. Jesus said to love our neighbors as ourselves. That means all of the “one another” statements in Scripture (i.e., be kind to one another, encourage one another) apply in our relationship with ourselves tooT…. Research has shown that those with a healthy self-relationship are more likely to be loving to others as well. Humility is strength under control. It’s knowing who we are, being secure in that, and then choosing to serve”(pg 153-152).

She seems to think that we don’t love ourselves. Scripture says differently. It claims that we already love ourselves. We already apply the “one another” statements to ourselves, hence why God has to command us to love others in the same way we love ourselves. This is the fulfillment of the law (Matt.22:36-40; Rom.13:8-10;Gal.5:14). Scripture tells us that sin is a result of loving ourselves more than our neighbors and more than we love God. That is one of the reasons that God gave the ten commandments, to show how we love ourselves more than others. 

How does this play out? Well…do we ever covet? That’s the 10th commandment. We covet because we love ourselves and want what others have? Do we ever lie? We lie because we love ourselves and want to protect ourselves in some way or another. If loving and being kind to ourselves was an issue God would tell us to do it. Instead He shows us that we already love ourselves and commands that the same love we have for ourselves should be given to others. 

Also, where does she get her definition of humility? Google Dictionary states that humility is a modest or low view of one’s self importance. Wikipedia describes it as a “sense of unworthiness…a liberation from consciousness of self, a form of temperance, that is neither having pride nor indulging in self-deprecation” (Humility – Wikipedia). To have humility is to know the truth about ourselves in light of God’s Word and puts others before ourselves.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil.2:3-8)

In light of Scripture we know we are sinners deserving God’s wrath like to rest of humanity (Eph.2:3). Yet, Christ took on the form of a servant, and humbled Himself obeying to the point of death, so that we who would believe would receive salvation from God’s wrath. True humility for those who follow Christ, comes not from a healthy self-relationship, knowing who we are and being secure in it, but is a result of knowing we deserved punishment like all the rest, but trust in Christ; secure in what He has done for us, and serving God by serving others.

I don’t know about you, but the more I go through this book, the more burden I feel will be placed on those who might read this. Besides the burden of trying to discern if God has given us dreams, to which we are called to obey, we must be on guard of things that would keep us from fulfilling the dream. We must weigh the cost of chasing the dream, make sure we simplify our lives, disregard those who may try to give us discouragement (even if it was to point us to Christ, or Scripture’s instructions instead of the dream), and to make sure we have a healthy relationship with ourselves.

Instead, ladies, let us focus on what God commands of us in Scripture, let us count the cost to follow Jesus, let us trust that nothing we do can sabotage God’s will, let us humbly believe the truths about ourselves in Scripture so we can rely more and more on Christ. The burden is light for us, ladies, because Christ carries it.

So until next time… let us be in His Word.

MelbaToast