Believing in Your Dreams

The Bible tells us Joseph dreamed he would hold an exalted position one day. While he could not understand them at the time, Joseph’s dreams forecasted his role of prominence in Egypt and his family. Joseph meant no insult when he shared his dreams with his family, people he felt could be entrusted with the revelations given to him. Instead, the jealousy his brothers felt for him intensified, leading to family discord, betrayal, and Joseph being sold into slavery by his own brothers.

Dreams, divinely inspired visions of what we want to achieve in life or what we envision the world could be, are powerful and driving forces. They inspire and encourage us, even when others mock and doubt us. They instill hope in the midst of hopeless situations. But, be careful with whom you share your dreams. Not everyone can celebrate your aspirations and pursuit of your purpose. Some will attempt to deride you for dreaming great and wondrous visions of the future. Others will discourage the dreamer in order to derail the dreams.  

Believing in your dreams requires more than merely dreaming; belief demands an investment of yourself. To become reality, Joseph’s dreams required work, sacrifice, integrity and patience. Above all, they required obedience to the author of the dream, God. The dream may have been given to and brought into reality through Joseph, but the dream was never about Joseph, but the salvation of his family and others (Genesis 50:20). Recognize the dream is never about you the dreamer, but about what the dream will accomplish in the lives of others, even those like Joseph’s brothers, who mock the dreamer.

If God has planted a dream of what you can achieve in life, hold fast to that dream. Encourage others, especially your children, to follow their dreams. In the end, divinely inspired dreams not only benefit the dreamer, they benefit the world and glorify the God who inspired the dream. Despite every critic who says the dream can never become a reality, regardless of any obstacles which attempts to block progress, continue to believe in the dream, and more importantly, believe in the God who instilled the dream in you.