Quote:

“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that.” – J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. 

Context:

I know Harry Potter is a very controversial series, especially among Christians. But this quote is honestly one of my favorites from modern fiction. It’s a fairly straightforward quote really. I’m guessing you didn’t need to read it five times before understanding,  like I tend to do for quotes from classics. But don’t skip over this simple quote. Sometimes what we think are the simplest things are little pearls of wisdom in disguise. So is the case here.

This quote couldn’t come at a better place for the characters in this book. Our main character, Harry, is in serious danger of losing himself to his desires, as honorable as they are. He doesn’t even notice how his desires are slowly consuming him. Luckily, his teacher does notice. 

These words of wisdom are not what any of us want to hear. Our dreams are important. They are beautiful, and good, and right. At least, they are to us. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing bad with having dreams and desires. Our dreams are important. Our desires are relevant. We shouldn’t discard any of them. We should devote time to chasing those dreams or working to gain something we want. But what I think a lot of us don’t realize is just how easy it is to suddenly care too much about our dreams and desires. 

Dreams and desires are among the things that have the most power over us. That’s definitely not a good thing. It’s certainly not fun to hear. But if you think about it, it’s true. Our dreams and desires have a way of sneaking into our every thought, becoming more and more important to us. The hard part is, we almost never notice it’s happening. We just feel motivated. But sometimes what we think is passion is actually us being consumed. 

I went through something like this not too long ago, when I was first discovering my love of writing. I was so excited to be learning about writing and the industry, and I had big dreams. I pictured myself writing some really great novels and getting published and ending up on a New York Times bestseller list. There was nothing wrong with those dreams. But  after a while I had been thinking too much about those dreams. I started noticing that I was putting more energy into my writing than into my schoolwork and chores. I was listening more closely to writing advice than to my parents. I was spending more time with my laptop than with my siblings. I knew this had gone way beyond a dream. It was an idol. 

It’s never easy to hear that you’re focused too much on a dream. On a desire. More often than not, these dreams are admirable pursuits. In The Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry only wanted to see his parents. There’s nothing wrong with that. But he took it too far. 

Dwelling too much on desires is dangerous. Because, inevitably, we end up forgetting to live if we go too far to achieve what it is we want. We become slaves to our desires, making them our idols instead. 

It’s hard to remember, but our dreams aren’t all that matters. God has dreams for us too. And if we care too much about our own dreams, we are forgetting his dreams for us. Let’s be honest, God’s dreams matter a whole lot more than ours. 

So when you’re chasing a dream –  and yes, it is 100% okay to chase a dream – just be careful. If you find yourself caring a little too much, don’t be afraid to take a step back for a while, and become yourself again. God has dreams for you. Don’t hurt yourself by trying to pursue only your desires. 

Desires are dangerous. Be very careful. And remember to live.

"Delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalms 37:4 

Written by: Amara Ader