Living the Dream

Do you have a God-given dream for your life? Do you want a God-given dream for your life? While God does not necessarily give us a complete blueprint for our lives, he often instills a dream within us that he guides us into.

Benjamin Davies

There is a way to discover this dream and nurture this dream until it becomes a reality. We can learn from biblical figures how this is done.

Two significant biblical figures gave hints that they perceived God’s direction for their lives at an early age – Joseph and Jesus.

Two Examples

When Jesus was twelve years old, he stayed behind in Jerusalem to spend time in the temple courts. Three days later his frantic parents found him; he calmly informed them that he must be about his Father’s business.

When Joseph was a boy, he shared his dreams that hinted at this future power and sovereignty. Maybe he didn’t use the best judgment when he did so. His talk provoked a very destructive response from his brothers.

When they had the opportunity, they sold him into slavery to traders bound for Egypt. His story is well known. He was acquired by Potiphar, falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and imprisoned. His slavery and imprisonment lasted a total of 13 years.

Then, he interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and ascended to a prominent place in the Egypt government.

What can we learn from Joseph’s saga can help us develop and nurture our dreams.

Six Lessons

1. Joseph believed his dream was from God. He knew it had significance and importance for his future. When we receive a dream that appears to be from God, we must hold onto that reality.
2. He thought about the dream. While he may have shared the dream prematurely, God used the negative response to shape his future. So, too, must we continually reflect on the dream. We mustn’t rush into the dream, however. It’s not necessarily our job to make the dream a reality and force the timing.
3. He expected God’s favor in the sight of others. Repeatedly, Joseph found favor with those who interacted with him. Potiphar, the jailer and the chief butler were all impressed with Joseph’s life. Simply living a life that would please God will bring good reports from many people. Are you trustworthy? Do you live a life of integrity?
4. He remained faithful to God. Bad things happened to Joseph. Sold into slavery, falsely accused and jailed, years of deprivation all worked against him. But he continued to trust God. He made no compromise in his faith.
5. He believed God was sufficient. Although the text may not specifically say this, we can clearly see in his life that he had this belief. He knew that above all, he needed God and God was all he needed.
6. He trusted God’s sovereign providence. There was something going on in Joseph’s life that demonstrates the ongoing walk of faith that ignores circumstances and hardship. When he finally ascended to power and was confronting his brothers, he made the extraordinary point that God had orchestrated all of what happened for good!

Your Turn – Your Dream

Where do you start? What if you don’t have a dream from God?

1. Reflect on your life. Has God called you to something more than what you are doing? Do you sense that maybe something is missing from your life?
2. It is safe to say that God does has a call on your life. In fact, he has given each of us a mission (Ephesians 2:10). Ask him what it is. He will reveal it in his time. Spend much time in the scriptures and in prayer.
3. As you wait for the dream and the plan, continue living a life that pleases him. Be obedient to God. Live like Jesus did and remember when you decide to live that way, you will experience God’s power to help you.
4. Have faith in God’s provision and leadership in your life. He has something wonderful for you. Just believe and keep going. When everything is clear, the doors opened and he leads you, go with confidence and joy.

And, please, share your dream with those you love and with me! I’d love to hear from you and encourage you along your way.