I love music. I listen to all kinds—classical, country, rock, hip-hop—you name it. The music I like best, though, is music that tells a story. Something that has meaning and provides motivation.

Last year, my wife and I saw the Elvis movie. My wife grew up as a big fan, although I was not so much of one until we met. Over the years, I really began to appreciate just what a talented singer he was, especially when he was telling a story via song. A large part of the movie covers what is known today as the ’68 Comeback Special. Elvis’ career had been in decline. The movies and music he had been turning out had been pretty cheesy, and was not at all the kind of music he liked. The movie tells the story of the behind-the-scenes struggle over what kind of music the special would contain.

I won’t go into all the details, but in the end, Elvis won out. The final number of the special was a powerful ballad called “If I Can Dream.” The 1960s were a turbulent time for America, especially along the lines of race, culture and politics. During the filming of the special, presidential hopeful Bobby Kennedy had been assassinated. A few months prior to that, civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. had been killed. The fact that citizens of his own country were killing one another over ideological differences deeply disturbed Elvis, and he dreamed of a better future for his nation. These hopes are reflected in the words of the song: “If I can dream of a better land, where all my brothers walk hand in hand, tell me why, oh why, oh why can’t my dream come true?”

Elvis wanted to see a future for the world where people of all races and backgrounds could live in peace together. As you are well aware (and as you likely heard quite a bit about at the Feast!), this future can only come under the rule of Jesus Christ, when He returns to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. No human government, ideal, song, march or protest will be able to solve the problems of mankind.

While we might understand why this dream cannot come true right now, we need to give Elvis and those like him credit. They didn’t have the answer, but they had the dream.

The question for you and me, as people who know the answer, is: Do you dream? Do we, like Elvis and others, actually take time to think about, or dream about, the future we desire?

Do you dream of the future?

Dreams—the kind you have when you fall asleep at night—are very interesting. They can be total fantasy, such as turning into a bird and flying, or they can be completely true, such as a recollection of riding your bike down the street. Oftentimes, they are a mish-mash of fantasy and truth, combining elements from past events that have happened to you, books you’ve read, movies you’ve seen and hopes you might have about the future.

Of course, God has used this type of dream to communicate His plans at times. In Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar was given a dream of a statue that foretold of world-ruling empires that would exist through the ages. He was also told about a stone, made without hands, that would “break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (verses 34, 44). That stone, of course, represents Jesus Christ and the coming Kingdom of God.

But what about dreams in the sense of what Elvis talked about? “Daydreams,” you might call them, or thoughts and hopes for the future. Did you know that God has these as well? For example, when the tribe of Judah was in Babylon, He reassured them that, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and
a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Of course, our ultimate dream should be that of life in the Kingdom of God. It is only there that the future Elvis dreamed about can become reality. It will be a time of peace and perfection for all mankind, and dreaming of that future is certainly worthy of our time.

But what about your personal desires? Things you’d like to see, do or accomplish? Everyone has these types of dreams to one degree or another. As a young person, you might “dream” of getting your driver’s license someday. Then of graduating high school. After that, maybe of getting a particular degree, and then a job in your field. Marriage, children . . . you get the idea.

It’s good, especially for you as a young person, to have dreams for your future. Yes, we should all be grounded in reality and understand that some things can’t or won’t happen until the return of Christ, but in the meantime, you have a life to live. In order to have a happy and fulfilling life, you should dream about your future.

The importance of dreams

One of the reasons that dreams are so important is that they keep us focused on our goals. In Genesis 11:4 we read about a rather nefarious dream, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

The people at that time weren’t content to be the creation of God. They wanted to make a name for themselves, and thus exalt themselves over God. “But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, ‘Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them’” (Genesis 11:5-6).

While their goal was a bad thing, it illustrates a principle—if man dreams of something long enough, he will find a way to do it. The same can be said for other inventions, such as flight, the telephone and dozens of others over the millennia. The point is, dreams serve as a motivation that drive us to do things (for more on motivations, check out the article in this issue entitled “How Are You Motivated”).

What to do about your dreams

As mentioned, you probably have certain dreams for your future. And whether those dreams become reality or not is often determined by your actions. Some things, like falling in love, cannot be forced. But you can increase your chances of meeting that special someone by getting to know other people. This might include doing things that are a bit outside your comfort zone, like going up to someone new and striking up a conversation. Or making the decision to attend summer camp, as opposed to staying home, where you might be more comfortable.

For other dreams, you can do your part to move in the right direction. For example, if you want to be a veterinarian, you’re going to have to take certain classes, enroll in programs, take tests, etc. You must choose to go to those classes, to ask questions, to study, etc. You’re not just going to wake up one morning and find that somehow you’ve achieved your goal, without ever working at it!

Dream on

Aside from the work involved in achieving your goals, take some time to dream about them. Consider, for example, Hebrews 11:8-10, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

Even though the goal spoken of here was of God’s design, I think it’s safe to say that going to the promised land was something Abraham dreamed of. And while God’s goals will be accomplished, would God have been able to use Abraham as He did, had Abraham not shared the dream?

What is it you dream about? What hopes do you have for your future? What are you willing to do to achieve them? Do your dreams require any outside help? Could you use some advice on how to achieve your specific dream? Answering these questions can go a long way toward helping you accomplish your goals; whatever it is you dream of!