I’ve always been amazed at the epic things God does in our world! It’s only with the advent of computer-aided design that I feel our dreams might be exceeding His in their vastness and creativity…and even then, that’s probably only because I haven’t seen what He’s up to in Heaven.

From the earliest day, God has been writing epic stories and giving men epic dreams:

• Noah must have been intimidated by the size of the boat project God sent his way.
• Abraham must have given up counting the stars after only moments of looking them over…not to mention the sand on the sea shore.
• and the Prophets, including the disciple John must have wondered if all they had seen of God’s heavenly creations could really be more than fanciful dreams.

I love that capacity to believe in the immense, the unattainable, and the impossible. I believe it’s why men like Martin Luther King, Jr. shot for the stars with his movement for equality and the people he led could believe in that same dream. And why a good Christian man like Jerry Falwell Sr. could dream of a school that was as big as Notre Dame, yet teach from an evangelical Christian perspective in every subject…a school I benefited from in my own education.

But those great dreams more often than not, come with a catch that’s hard to accept. God’s timing is often not a part of the promise. He delivers dreams that often exceed the dreamers lifetimes. As Hebrews 11 says so eloquently,

“These all died in faith without having received the promises, but they saw them from a distance.” ~ Hebrews 11:13

That was certainly true of Martin Luther King Jr and Jerry Falwell Sr, as well as Abraham and the Prophets. The gift in the dream that they were given was really for the generations that would follow them.

And I find it to be true of thousands of others on a slightly smaller scale: good Christian people who dream of a business or ministry that changes lives in their city or world on a scale that addresses the need that has overwhelmed them in their own work.

This Holy Tension: to dream, and yet walk with patience that waits on God’s timing is one that is lacking in the lives of many dreamers. It breaks my heart to see churches now struggling, ministries and businesses that have closed their doors because they built their dream too quickly or without sharing it with a generation that could continue it. It’s God’s timing that can really help dreamers remain humble and push them to make sure their dream lands in the hands of capable leaders when they are gone.

The dreams that I find span 2-3 generations are the ones that make the greatest difference in our world: churches who build a strong core of believers that can support the next pastor to come (like Andy Stanley’s NorthPoint ministry born out of FBC Atlanta). Ministries that have earned the trust of their community and are able to partner with in at a deeper level. Pastors equipped in ministry for success by a seasoned leader (like Craig Groschel’s development in the Methodist church, or the strong church and university under the leadership of Jerry Falwell’s two sons). In Scripture, we even see this example in the way leadership remained strong from Moses to Joshua in the Old Testament, and from Jesus to His disciples in the New Testament.

Too many dreamers get caught marrying the dream to their reputation, and they fail to trust another to carry on their work. It’s not without good reason: many a dreamer has handed off a healthy organization only to have their successor drive it into failure or abuse the influence they were given. However, I truly believe it’s worth the risk–the potential future impact far outweighs the risk. And I believe it’s God’s desire that we play the long game–shooting to build things that have multi-generational impact.

I love being a part of a ministry that is equipping future leaders and sending them into ministry as well as resourcing other ministries with tools for free. And I hope that for my kids, I can leave them as trained, capable leaders, who will build on my work or the work of others. I would love to leave them my home, and an inheritance, that will hopefully allow them to do great ministry in our world without having to pay all the bills I have had over the years.