One of the hardest things people face is shattered dreams. Some dreams came true so wonderfully, only to later be crushed beyond repair. Others always seem to be out of reach, like a mirage in the desert that beckons to thirsty travelers but never reaches the beckoning spring. What is going on here and can we handle this that might help someone?
• POSSIBLE
Learning the difference between what may be possible and what may be beyond us will be a lifelong challenge for most of us. Some goals are clearly more realistic and achievable, other things can be much more difficult to achieve, no matter how hard we try. But since some people have achieved even the most amazing goals, maybe there is nothing wrong with us trying too? And if you aim for the stars, how do you calibrate or manage your realism, your imagination and your optimism? It is definitely a challenge.
And then there are the truly horrible and devastating experiences that some people go through, where dreams that had come true—an ideal marriage, a wonderful child, or a career—are shattered as that marriage falls apart beyond repair and a be very loved child develops an incurable disease, or that business sinks terribly into ruin. Many people have faced terrible accidents; where their lives have been broken and ruined, and the heart weeps with bewildering pain and tragic loss.
• DESTROYED
Some dreams are shattered by the cold tests of reality. What do I mean? This devastating blow can come when you discover that some of your most cherished beliefs were not as safe as you had thought. Whatever they are: new and old religions, humanism, atheism, evolution, mindfulness, yoga, scientism, a political movement, and much more. I realize that you may wish to challenge my position by asking if I think you are excluded from the possibility of broken dreams.
This is a major challenge as it concerns whether Biblical Christianity is capable of withstanding cold, hard scrutiny compared to other faiths. But of course, if it fails for similar reasons to others, then throw it away. If it stands firm as a rock, impregnable against all the storms of philosophy, science, reason, and radical disbelief, then I think it’s worth looking into, and yes, there’s a big “if” at the beginning of that sentence.
• REVISION
In a short article, it is simply not possible to evaluate a variety of beliefs. But what I can offer is a brief review of why you can most confidently bring your shattered dreams to Jesus Christ. I believe your case is irrefutable, completely credible, defensible, and worthy of any serious investigation. This is not a leap into the void, but an evaluation of the claims followed by an appropriate response.
First consider some statements, some direct, some indirect; speaking of him, ‘the Word became flesh and dwelt among us’ (John 1:14), ‘No one ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man’ (John 3:13) – a title of supremacy universal Jesus used for himself, ‘He who comes from above is over all. He who is of the earth, he belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all’ (John 3:31), ‘For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will’ (John 5:21), ‘I I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst” (John 6:35), “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).
• UNIQUE
Jesus came into the world in a specific context. His claim was that he had come in response to the ancient longing of the Jewish prophets, as their only King, a Messiah in the line of David, to fulfill his expectation. However, most of the religious establishment rejected Jesus and had him put to death by crucifixion, the Roman method of public execution reserved for the lowest and worst. But Jesus’ central claim was that he willingly gave himself up to death as the Good Shepherd who would save his sheep: ‘I lay down my life to take it up again’ (John 10:17).
And it is in this context that Jesus came to deal with the worldwide moral rebellion against God. This too is part of the larger picture in which those shattered dreams find a place, for the Christian claim is that Jesus came into a world that was already shattered in so many ways that it all flowed from the ‘fall’ in Genesis.
But his sacrificial death would never be the end, and he would be elevated to universal authority. These, then, are the main claims to investigate, especially the true humanity and deity of Jesus, his sacrificial death, and his bodily resurrection. And there is ample material to support the search for it. Look at it from any angle you choose. And it will be up to you to decide the basis of the judgment to which you submit Jesus.
• ENOUGH
The testimony of Scripture presents Jesus Christ as the One in whom all divine fullness and sufficiency dwells. No situation, however desperate, is beyond him: he is the Lord of circumstances, the Lord of the cosmos. He is enough for any shattered experience, by no means offering quick fixes, but a solid, lasting way to find peace with God and the knowledge that his purpose is good and big enough, even in a broken world, to bring wholeness. to shattered dreams .
Only He is capable of reshaping the lives of the broken pieces, capable of reconciling you with yourself, where you learn how the God of grace is able to gently pick up the broken pieces and make them beautiful, reflecting the love and light of Christ. ; so ‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit’ (Romans 15:13).