Your Cart is Empty
I’m amazed every time I read about teens who have such a serious or intense passion for something that it gets them out of bed. For instance (and this is where your dreams come in!), every two years we get a chance to see the best of the best in the Olympics.
Many of the competitors are teens just like you. And there they are, on a world stage, accomplishing major feats of strength, agility, and speed. How did they get there? How did they grow to excel?
By practicing. By taking advice and following instructions. And, of course, by getting up early in the morning to do all of this plus go to school and do their homework. These teens did this because they were following a dream—a dream powerful enough to get them out of bed each day so they could do what was necessary to reach their goal.
Teens roll out of bed for all kinds of reasons. To train for sports, to meet with a prayer group, or to gather for prayer at the school flagpole. To work on their Bible study for youth group. To meet with a study group at school. To go over exam material one more time before a test.
What is it you are passionate about? What is it you like doing more than anything else? What would you like to be doing but never seem to have enough time for? If you get a chance, take a minute to jot down an answer or two.
This well-known saying tells us a lot! It’s the perfect advice for making your dreams about the future come true, and it’s a great way to fulfill the responsibilities that make up your present daily life. To begin your journey of fulfilling your dreams and taking care of your responsibilities, you must begin with one single step — get up tomorrow, which brings up the following questions:
What do you want to do tomorrow? This question has to do with your goals and dreams. One of my grandsons wants to have time to learn karate. He also wants to gain a better understanding of computers. Another grandson loves to play tennis and can’t wait for his next lesson.
What about you? To want something means to desire it strongly. What do you strongly desire to achieve tomorrow that is related to the future you dream of ? You can answer this question here or in a notebook or journal. Just name your goal and write out why it’s important to you.
What do you have to do tomorrow? This question has to do with taking care of your responsibilities, such as schoolwork, chores, a part-time job. What’s on your must-do list? Finishing your English paper? Preparing a handout for a meeting? Taking out the trash for mom? Feeding the dog next door while your neighbors are on vacation? Take a stab at writing a list. WARNING: This list can get quite long... and it should be! You may need to write it in two columns.
Here’s one of my favorite quotes about living each day with passion. I’m hoping and praying it speaks to you too. It’s from the book Don’t Waste Your Life. (That’s quite a title, isn’t it?)
Most people slip by in life without a passion for God, spending their lives on trivial diversions, living for comfort and pleasure... [Don’t] get caught up in a life that counts for nothing... Learn to live for Christ, and don’t waste your life!
Life is a precious gift from God. On top of the life He’s given you, He also has incredible plans and purposes for you as well. Nothing could be worse than a life that counts for nothing! You have all the opportunities in the world to live with passion, to make a difference, to contribute to others, and to bring honor and glory to God.
God will take you as far as you want to go, as fast as you want to go. Now the tough choice you have to make each day is to get up so you can take the steps that lead you forward day by day on your journey of living — really living — for Christ. Don’t waste your life! Get moving toward your goals and dreams.
As you think about living your life God’s way, let the following choices pave the way for a better tomorrow. This exercise will help you follow through on your first step toward a better life — getting out of bed.
Step 1: Decide when you need to get up.
Step 2: Determine when you must get up to make your day go the way you’d like.
Step 3: Set your alarm... a good loud one. An obnoxious one!
Step 4: Get to bed at a reasonable time to get the rest you need before your wake-up time.
Step 5: Pray. Ask for God’s help in getting up. Tell Him why it’s important for you to rise and shine tomorrow. Go over your plans, purpose, commitments, and dreams for tomorrow with Him. Go ahead. He cares, even more than you do!
Step 6: Purpose to get up — no matter what. Don’t give in. And don’t worry about not getting enough sleep. It’s only for one morning.
Step 7: Praise God when you hear the alarm. As the new dawn comes forth, cry out with the psalmist, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm118:24).
Guiding a boy toward making right choices will equip him to think carefully about his decisions, assuring a more fulfilling and successful life.
In A Young Man's Guide to Making Right Choices, Jim George focuses on all the high points of a young man's life―the things that matter most.
Buy A Young Man's Guide to Making Right Choices
Interested in having your own copy of Get Out of Bed to Follow Your Dreams?
Get Out of Bed to Follow Your Dreams has been crafted into print-friendly reminder available for purchase here.
Jim and Elizabeth George have helped countless men and women:
Jim’s leadership influence has helped thousands of men honor God by modeling integrity in the workplace, learn to be better communicators, and build a strong legacy for their family.