FAQ: Why Can’t I Shake This Dream?

The Believer’s and Unbeliever’s Dream

I was on a search to answer this question for a friend.  What does it mean to have a dream?  How can I decipher what my dream means?  Why does it disturb me and what can I do about it?  We’ve heard this question in many ways with some frequency.  So, we’ve decided to label it as a frequently asked question (FAQ).  

What does it mean to dream?
Let me begin with saying I don’t have all the answers and possibly not your answer, but what I have is some insight that might be helpful and give you an “uncommon” perspective.  You have to admit that the “common” answers one gets, isn’t the answer that you want or are looking for.  That thought in itself supports the overall idea of our website, nolongercommon.com.  Ordinary [answers] is no longer enough.   
The short definition is simply this.  A dream is any idea you have that seems impossible for you to achieve, accomplish, or obtain.  It doesn’t mean you can’t reach it, it just means it seems like something that is out of your reach and you wonder why no one else is attempting it.  The reason is…it’s yours and you can’t shake it.  No matter how many times you try to forget it; it’s always buried in the back of your mind.

To help with this, I have come across two types of dreams: (1) those believers have and (2) those unbelievers are tormented with.  Simply put, there are dreams that excite and those that torment.  Let me share an example of each with you.

The believer’s dream [Joseph’s dream]
“Listen to this dream,” he said. – bible.com/116/gen.37.6.nlt

Joseph had a dream he shared with his family that one day they would all bow down before him.  They’d have to one day [not today] answer to Joseph.  This dream, while for his family brought jealousy and division amongst them, was in fact God showing Joseph who He would be many years from that moment.  God used a dream to reveal to Joseph who he was destined to become.  He does the same thing for us.  Are you dreaming of starting a family?  How about a new business?  Or writing a book?  Do you have dreams of baking?  Or performing acts on the big screen?  What about that invention you keep talking about?  What dream is God showing you that’s defining your future?  The uncommon you.

The Dream Excites and Doesn’t Excite
While having a dream can seem exciting, your excitement might not excite others.  It won’t excite many others until it leaves the dream world and enters reality.  I can tell you that Joseph was excited about his dream and he told everyone he could.  The problem is not everyone is excited about your dream.

The Dream Give Endurance
“And he remembered the dreams he’d had about them many years before.” – bible.com/116/gen.42.9.nlt

Joseph had his dream with him for many years before it ever became a reality.  Yet, he had it buried in the confines of his mind.  You too will have to carry the dream with you and never let go of it.  It will take time, but don’t let go of it.  Every passing day is bringing you one day closer to the reality of the dream.

The Unbeliever’s Dream [King Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream]
“The great God was showing the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its meaning is certain.”
– bible.com/116/dan.2.45.nlt

Is the dream you’ve been having a message from God, showing you things that are to come? What if God showed you your certain end?  That’s tormenting to say the least.  This is what happened to Nebuchadnezzar.  Imagine this with me.  You’re the king and had a dream, more like a nightmare.  You go to your best astrologers and try to get an answer to what it means and no one can help you.  But a guy, the most uncommon of guys, steps up and offers a solution for interpreting the king’s dream.  Let me stop here, that’s what the uncommon do, offer solutions.  Fast-forwarding, the dream’s meaning is revealed to Daniel and it shows the king what will be an undesirable ending to his life’s work.  

The Dream Brings Confusion and Frustration
“While Your Majesty was sleeping, you dreamed about coming events. He who reveals secrets has shown you what is going to happen.”
‭– bible.com/116/dan.2.29.nlt
A dream like this is tormenting.  You have no idea what it really means and when you do, you are left feeling worse.  That’s what I call an unbeliever’s dream.  It’s the kind of dream that goes to people who think they can do life without God.  They think they’re the creator of their destiny. They have no need for or any dependence on God and as a result everything they have becomes nothing.  What if you’ve been warned that everything that matters to you will end in ruin?  

The Dream Gives Assurance
“And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret of your dream, but because God wants you to understand what was in your heart.”
‭- bible.com/116/dan.2.30.nlt
This dream is quite different from the one Joseph had.  Joseph was a nobody, a young boy.  Nebuchadnezzar was a somebody, a king.  He was at the top of his class.  The dream he saw was of what was to become of his kingdom.  This is a sign that you’re having the unbeliever’s dream.  It starts with a bit of torment.  Two people.  Two types of dreams.  Joseph had nothing to lose, but everything to gain.  Nebuchadnezzar had a lot to lose and nothing to gain.  Joseph had a heart turned towards God. Nebuchadnezzar had a heart turned from God.  

In these two distinct dreams, both are unshakeable.  They stayed with and even tormented the one who had them.  The bottom line is this; it boils down to what’s in your heart.  Fix the heart and you fix the dream.  Fix your heart to alter your purpose.  Fix your heart you transform your future.  

Question: Have you ever had a dream you couldn’t shake?  What will you do with it?  Leave us a comment.

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