Being a “dreamer” often has a bad reputation. Dreamers aren’t seen as realistic or reliable. They have their heads in the clouds; they need to get their feet on the ground and accomplish something. Sometimes parents crush the dreams of youth and young adults, telling them that their dreams aren’t realistic and they need to get a reliable job—something safe and secure. Some of us used to be dreamers but are no longer. I think that’s crazy. One of the saddest realities in the world right now is that people have forgotten how to dream.

Without dreams, we lose hope. We live in discouragement. Without dreams, we don’t visualize the world the way God the Father visualizes the world. I was hesitant to include the word “dream” in the title of this book, since I knew many would never read this book simply because they think dreams are silly nonsense.

But what if I were to tell you that the Father loves dreamers? And why does He love them? Because He is a dreamer Himself! And not just a small dreamer. No: He dreams big dreams. In fact, Creation itself was the result of the Father’s dream. Have you ever thought about that? He dreamed of a world full of beauty and life for us, and when He spoke, through the power of His Word, that world came into being. In a sense, the Fall of Man was our rejection of the Father’s dream for the world and our decision to pursue egocentric desires. But immediately after our Fall, the Father started to dream for us again. He dreamed of bringing us back to Himself.

He dreamed of sending His Son into the world to save the world, to bring the Kingdom of God to the world, to open the heavens and send down the Spirit, and to empower us to live the life Jesus lives.

In fact, the Father not only loves dreamers: He even created us in His image and likeness to be dreamers. The imagination is part of the human soul. Only humans, made in the image and likeness of God, have the capacity to dream. Dogs don’t dream. Dogs don’t lie awake at night yearning to end world hunger for dogs. Dogs don’t visualize bringing something out of nothing. But you do. And because of that, you are remarkable!

Your dreams and your imagination are so powerful!

When a human imagination is inspired by the Holy Spirit, it can not only begin to see realities that have not yet come into being but, in partnership with God, can begin seeing the world as He sees it! Through the human imagination, dreamers have been able to build breathtaking cathedrals, compose heart-moving symphonies, paint and sculpt works of art. Because of the human imagination, a dreamer can envision a country in which slavery doesn’t exist and, because of that, can bring about the end of slavery. It was dreamers working tirelessly to fulfill their dream that ended slavery. Because of the human imagination, a dreamer can envision a city where the homeless are fed and sheltered and off the streets and, because of that, can open shelters and advocacy programs bringing that dream into reality. Likewise, because of the human imagination, a dreamer can picture a country in which abortion doesn’t exist and, because of that, can pursue the end of abortion. Abortion will no longer happen in America someday. And when it does no longer happen, it will be because dreamers worked tirelessly to bring it to an end.

A dream is a big, bold aspiration, ambition, or ideal. A dream asks for something that is bigger than one could reasonably expect. Dreams are possible, but most people think they are impossible!

For this reason, dreams require a ridiculous amount of faith and hope. People who stop dreaming are people who lose hope. People who stop dreaming are people who place their faith in the limited work of man instead of the divine power of God.

Never stop dreaming. God created you to be a dreamer. There may be some people in your life who are trying to crush dreams out of you. Love them, but don’t listen to them. The Father created you to visualize the world as He visualizes it. He wants you to dream of big things for you and your family, accomplishing things no one thought possible, “for nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).

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Editor’s note: The above excerpt is taken from Dream Bigger: A 21-day Journey to Unlock God’s Dream for Your Life, available now from Sophia Institute Press.