DOGE 3.0

Steve Harvey always wanted to be on TV. If you've seen him on camera before, you know why. He seems to have been made for it. However, when he was in elementary school, one of his teachers tried to crush his dream. She nearly succeeded.

His class had an assignment to write about what they wanted to do when they grew up. All the other kids chose typical and "normal" careers, but little Stevie said he wanted to be on TV.

For some reason this really bothered his teacher. So much so, that she made him stand in front of the class and tell everyone. Then she proceeded to berate and humiliate him for such a ridiculous dream. She felt it was unachievable and disrespectful to his family and community. She even sent a note home for his parents to re-educate his foolish little mind.

Steve thought he was on death's doorstep until his father looked up from the note and said, "I don't see why not. That boy can do anything he wants to." Instead of a swat to knock some sense into him, he received a thrust forward that empowered him.

Humiliate or Elevate

What does God think of your dreams and aspirations? How often do we project Steve's teacher's attitude onto God, instead of seeing God more accurately represented by his dad?

Yes, plenty of people behave and speak like hustlers and annoyingly declare the favor of God on their life. But we're not talking about them.

Do you view God as someone who is dismantling and destroying everything you ever wanted and hoped for - a threat to your happiness and satisfaction? Or is his desire to help empower you to achieve success?

When you look at the Bible (and thus history), you see God is committed to exposing and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. You also see that God is committed to rescuing and empowering dreams that build and improve lives. He knows what skills, aptitudes and interests people have. He programmed those things into each person.

Yet many times, we feel humiliated and ridiculous under the harsh voice of the impostor. "Who in your family ever did that? Who in your community ever did that? And who do you think you are?"

Maybe it is the voice of a teacher. Or perhaps a family member, or a friend, or maybe the voice of your cumulative experience up until now. It cuts us down and dismantles your hope and effort.

But that is not what the Department of Godly Empowerment does.

Department of Godly Empowerment

Yes, just like DOGE 1.0 and DOGE 2.0, this department is headed by the same Holy Ghost. Here are some excerpts from the memos he dictated. Feel free to tweet them - or I guess I should say, post them on X (or wherever else). Better yet, live like you believe Him.

Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[a] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

2 Timothy 1:7: for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Joel 2:28-29: And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

Habakkuk 2:2-3:  Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

There are many more instances of Him expressing his mission of empowering people to harness their God-given ambition with their talent-on-loan-from God. He is not into crushing your dreams but empowering you to pursue the right ones.

This begs the question: what are the right ones? That's another conversation. Instead, I'll wrap it up with this:

Some people are so stubbornly committed to their foolish dream, that they will abandon proper and necessary relationships looking for those who will massage their ego and encourage them in their delusion. Don't become that person.

The other side of the equation is those who have a relationship with the ambitious dreamer. Will we cut them down to the size we think they should be, or will we partner with the Department of God's Empowerment and help them work to become who they should be, and accomplish the things God put into their heart?