In the Wizard of Oz, the Tin Man dreams of having a heart.

Like the Tin Man, each of us has a dream.  God places a dream in your spirit, but it seems at times it can take so long for God to move. In the process of living life, it's easy to lose heart waiting for the dream to come to pass.

The fulfillment of your dreams is directly impacted by the condition of your heart.

Proverbs 4:23

From your heart flow the issues, or borders, of your life.

Life doesn't happen to you - it flows from you.

What you are full of will eventually flow out into your life.

Matthew 12:33 - 35

Matthew 12:35 AMPLIFIED

Your life can change if you change what is in your heart.

Fill your heart with positive and positive happens. Fill it with negative and negative happens. Fill it with worship, faith and hope and good happens. Fill it with anger, lack or scarcity and bad happens.

I'm convinced it's not what's going on around us that determines life - it's what's going on within us.

It takes a healthy heart to fulfill a dream!

So, what happens when you get heart damage? What happens when you're betrayed, when you're ripped off, when you're done wrong or a leader takes advantage of you?

Heart damage can create resentment, rejection, bitterness and mistrust. It's hard to fulfill your dream when your heart is broken.

Proverbs 13:12

When your heart hurts it's hard to move forward. When your heart gets sick it's tough to step out in faith.

Hebrews 10:35 - 39

The Bible constantly encourages us "don't lose heart". We are not of those who shrink back.

2 Corinthians 4:16

Galatians 6:9

But as we start getting older, we can start to question, "Is the dream ever going to happen?"

You're doing good and it doesn't seem to be paying off. You're paying tithe, you're praying, you're serving... but nothing seems to be changing.  But don't lose heart - your day is coming. You're not done yet. In your appointed time - you will reap the good you have sown.

Ephesians 3:13

Some people lose heart over what happened to somebody else. They get offended over someone else's stuff. But you don't know all the issues of their life. They could only be three chapters into a ten chapter book. God might be dealing with something in their life that you know nothing about. 

Don't let someone else knock you out of your race.

Hebrews 12:3

Jesus faced opposition. Guess what, you'll face opposition.

When you face opposition for a while it can get into your heart.

2 Corinthians 12:9

Only one thing can heal a damaged heart:  Grace.

Grace - the unearned merit and favor of God.

Who can make sense of all the things that have broken our hearts? Who can make sense from the heartbreak?

You can never make everything all right. You can't make sense out of all the craziness around you and tie it all in a nice little knot.

But know this:  His grace is sufficient.  It is perfected in my weakness. When there are a thousand things to make me lose heart - I can always rely on the grace of God.

1 Corinthians 15:10

God will cause His dream to come to pass in me. By the grace of God I am what I am. I am what I am - that's all that I am.

Grace - given by God - is enough. Your gift, how you're wired, is enough.

Dreams are meant to cause you to rely heavily on the grace of God!