Pursuing God-Given Dreams: The Loop You’ll Face and How to Stay the Course

Dreams are easy to romanticize—but difficult to realize.

Everyone loves the idea of chasing a big calling, launching something meaningful, or living out a God-sized dream. But what no one talks about is the loop you’ll face along the way—a cycle of hope, frustration, testing, and refinement that either makes you… or breaks you.

In The Impossible Life Podcast Ep. 204, Garrett and Nick unpack how to navigate this process with clarity, grit, and discernment—so you can actually fulfill the dreams God puts in your heart.

“Most people quit because they didn’t understand the process. The dream didn’t die—they just stopped walking.” — Garrett

Step 1: Get the Dream — Vision From God

Every great journey begins with a vision.

But not all dreams are created equal. Some are fueled by ego, comfort, or emotion. God-given dreams, however, are assigned—not invented.

So how do you know if your dream is from God?

“If your dream doesn’t require you to change, it’s probably not from God.” — Nick

God-given dreams stretch you. They serve others. They align with God’s character and often feel beyond your capacity. You know it’s from Him when it requires His presence to fulfill.

Psalm 139:16 says, “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

And in Ezekiel 36, God says He will put His Spirit in you and cause you to follow His statutes. That’s the foundation: God gives the desire—and then gives you the strength to walk it out.

The key is surrender. Are you holding the dream with open hands?

“God doesn’t bless closed fists. He blesses surrendered hearts.” — Garrett

Step 2: Embrace Reality — It’s Harder Than You Think

Once you have the dream, you’ll quickly collide with reality.

It won’t be instant. It won’t be glamorous. And it definitely won’t be easy.

This is where most people lose heart. They believed in the vision—but they didn’t expect the cost.

“We want microwave miracles, but God’s way is crockpot transformation.” — Nick

Think of Abraham. He was promised a nation—but spent decades wandering before the child even arrived. Think of Joseph. Dreamed of leadership—but went through betrayal, prison, and silence before influence.

God tests before He trusts.

Garrett uses the analogy of the SEAL Teams: you don’t rush into battle. You train. You suffer. You prepare to carry the mission well. And the same goes for your dream.

“Don’t sprint toward your death. Walk in wisdom toward your destiny.” — Garrett

The dream is still real. But the process is very real too.

Step 3: Endure the Process — Grit, Wisdom, and Trust

After vision and reality comes the hardest part: staying in the fight.

This is the loop Garrett and Nick describe:

• Get the vision

• Crash into the cost

• Decide whether you’ll press on or pull back

“You’ll be tempted to quit not because the dream changed—but because it got uncomfortable.” — Garrett

This is where grit comes in. The ability to keep going even when progress is slow. Even when the fruit isn’t visible. Even when the path feels lonely.

But grit alone isn’t enough. You also need wisdom—the ability to adjust without quitting, to learn without compromising, and to stay rooted in God’s timing rather than your own.

Nick shared a story of hiking Mount Massive—thinking he was almost done, only to realize there were four more peaks to go. The same is true in the pursuit of your dream. Just when you think you’ve arrived, God may reveal more ground to cover.

“Don’t judge the mountain by how tired you feel. Judge it by whether you’re still following the Guide.” — Nick

Final Thoughts: Carry the Dream With Honor

God didn’t give you that dream to tease you. He gave it to form you.

• To teach you to trust Him

• To refine your character

• To shape your story for others

• To glorify Himself through your obedience

The dream is real. But so is the testing. So is the time it takes. So is the transformation He’s after in you.

So don’t drop it. Don’t resent it. Carry it well.

“The dream may be about the future—but how you carry it now is what honors God.” — The Impossible Life

If He gave it to you, He’ll give you what you need to see it through.