Issue #213, August 9, 2017
The story of Joseph’s life in the final 14 chapters of Genesis gives us more details than almost any other biblical figure. Joseph was certainly not perfect but his story is one of very few that contains no major character flaws or failures. All of us can learn many lessons from his life about work, temptation, perseverance, faith, patience and forgiveness. In this series we will focus on what we can learn from the dreams that are a central part of his story. His own dream is the central focus but the dreams of the butler, baker, and finally the dream of Pharaoh are also key parts of his story. A dream is a vision for the future and all servant leaders learn from Joseph’s story how dreams grow and develop over time. Let’s look first at the birth of Joseph, the dreamer. Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, "God has taken away my disgrace." She named him Joseph, and said, "May the LORD add to me another son." (Genesis 30:22-24). The account of Joseph’s birth provides the background for the dreams that he would later have as a young man.
Dreamers are birthed with a background.
Joseph was born into a specific family context. He was the 11th son of his father Jacob, born to Rachel, the most loved of Jacob’s two wives. His name meant “may he add.” This was his identity from birth and the background of the dreams God would give him. There is never a dream without a dreamer and every dreamer comes from a different place. Joseph’s dream involved his family and was birthed in the context of who he was. Like Joseph, each of us has a unique family, cultural, economic and religious background. God creates us all with a unique capacity to dream. But sadly, many people never have a dream. Joseph’s 11 brothers never had a dream. Physical birth does not always produce a dreamer! But all leadership begins with a dream and every servant leader begins their journey with a unique background.
Dreamers are shaped by their background.
Joseph’s background was not very nice! It is hard to imagine a family background that is worse than Joseph’s. His family history includes jealousy, treachery, deception, cheating, scheming, divination, superstition, incest, idol worship, polygamy, prostitution, and murderers! His mother died when he was a young boy, so he experienced the pain of a deep loss. All these elements shaped the dream that God gave to Joseph. Servant leaders do not ignore their background; they recognize the impact that their family has on who they are and the way they lead. Their dream or vision may sometimes be unconsciously linked to their background. At other times they may be aware of the connection. But servant leaders accept their background as a gift from God and allow it to shape their dream.
Dreamers are released from their background.
Joseph’s family background made the living out of his dream much more difficult, but he was able to rise up and become the leader of a great nation. One of the most powerful leadership lessons from the life of Joseph is that his background did not keep him from fulfilling his God-given dream. His name became the prominent one in his family although he was nearly the youngest. Servant leaders can learn from Joseph’s story that their background does not need to limit their vision. They allow God to place in their hearts dreams that may seem ridiculous when examined by their family. God uses who we are and where we come from to shape the dream; but He never limits the dream to our background. Servant leaders dream beyond their background.
For further reflection and discussion:
- Reflect on your personal background. In what way has your life and leadership been impacted by your family? Your siblings? Your parents? Your name? Your nationality?
- Are you a dreamer? If not, why not? If so, what is your vision for your life and leadership? How does your background shape this vision?
- Have you been released to dream beyond your background? If not, what can you learn from Joseph’s life that can help you? Are there steps you need to take to be set free from your past? Who can help you move past your past?