I've always been a person with big ideas. But somewhere along the way, I started believing that having desires meant I wasn't surrendered enough.
Maybe you've felt this too.
You have dreams. Visions. Things you want to create, build, or change in the world. But then the guilt creeps in: Shouldn't I just be content? Shouldn't I wait for God to tell me exactly what to do? Isn't wanting things... selfish?
Here's what I've learned: God gave you those desires.
And discounting them—automatically trying to get rid of everything you want to prove your surrender—actually overshoots the will of God. It denies the fact that He is the Father of the dreams and abilities within you.
The Servant Mentality That Keeps Us Small
There's a version of Christianity that says, "God, I am nothing. You are everything. Whatever you tell me to do, I will do."
And yes—God deserves all the glory. Yes, it's not about us. Yes, we're called to serve.
But.
We've taken submission and servanthood to the point where we no longer exercise the freedom God has given us. We've dumbed ourselves down to the point where we've stopped dreaming.
We sit and wait for a word. We wait for God to give us the play-by-play before we take the next step.
Could it be, though, that God is waiting on our dreams and desires?
Why Kingdom Culture Looks Second-Rate
I literally want to cry when I think about the state of Christian culture and the terrible job we're doing to influence the world around us.
It makes no sense to me that everything destructive seems to infiltrate the entire world, yet people of God stay in their "Christian bubbles"—creating subpar content, products, and experiences—while letting destruction, lies, and everything counter-Christ dominate our culture.
Why is it acceptable that:
- Many believers create websites, social media, and products that feel outdated and irrelevant?
- Gospel artists get buried in algorithms while secular content dominates every platform?
- Christian schools don't have a reputation for being the best in education?
- We settle for "good enough for church" instead of excellence?
- Christian events can have production quality that feels like some equipment got left behind?
How can we expect to reach people influenced by world-class brands, design, and culture if our work looks like we don't care?
We are called to be influencers. Not just in the Instagram sense, but in the shaping society sense.
Seven Mountains That Need Kingdom Influence
There are seven major realms of influence in society that shape the way we live and think:
- Home
- Church
- Education
- Media (Electronic & Print)
- Government & Politics
- Performing Arts (Entertainment & Sports)
- Commerce (Science & Technology)
These mountains must be invaded by Kingdom-oriented people for transformation to take place.
Where do you fit in?
What if believers showed up in commerce—in fashion, design, business, education, tech—with the same level of excellence, creativity, and influence as anyone else? What if we stopped making "Christian versions" of things and instead created exceptional things that happen to be made by believers?
Stop Waiting. Start Creating.
If you never become a person of desire, you will never accurately and effectively represent Christ on the earth.
Read that again.
Your dreams matter. Your creativity matters. Your desire to build something excellent matters.
Surrender doesn't mean killing your desires. It means aligning them with God's heart and then moving forward with confidence.
So here's my question for you:
What are you waiting for permission to create?
What dream have you buried because you thought it was too big, too worldly, too ambitious, or not "spiritual" enough?
What if God is waiting for you to pick it back up?
This is part of why Oh! exists. We believe surrender doesn't mean shrinking—it means showing up fully, creating boldly, and living with open hands.
Stop gripping your dreams in fear. Start living them in faith.
There's safety in surrender—and power in the desires God placed within you.
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