Issue #222, December 13, 2017
As Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, he showed that he finally understood the purpose for which God gave him the dream. What he understood about the purpose of his dream as a mature leader was very different from what he thought as a 17-year-old.
And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. Now hurry back to my father and say to him, 'This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don't delay. You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute' (Genesis 45:5-8).
Joseph understood the purpose for which God had given him a dream. It was not really about him, it was all about God. Joseph teaches servant leaders the reason God gives dreams.
Dreams are to reveal God’s plan.
Joseph says, “it was not you who sent me here, but God.” Joseph looked back over the events of his life. It looked like his brothers were in control of his destiny, but he realized that it was actually God at work in his life even in the midst of painful experiences.
Every dream from God is to reveal the plan God has for His people. God calls some leaders to work in the business world, in politics, in health care or in the church. God gives a dream. But the dream is not about the leader. It is to reveal God’s plan in that arena of life. Servant leaders recognize that it is God who equipped and prepared them to carry out His dream. Their dream reveals God’s heart and God’s plan.
Dreams are to resource God’s people.
When Joseph was young, he imagined that the dream was about others bowing down to him. Now he acknowledges, “it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.” Joseph sees that God’s dream was not about others meeting his needs, but it was about him meeting the needs of others.
Most leaders accomplish dreams to provide for themselves but servant leaders recognize that God gave them a dream to provide for the needs of others. They recognize that the measure of success is not how many bow down to them, but how many they can serve.
Dreams are to restore God’s relationships.
As a young man Joseph thought his dream was about his family bowing down to him. Then his brothers hurt him deeply and for years he tried to forget the pain.
But God’s plan was for Joseph to be healed from the pain, to forgive them and be restored to his family. Joseph went through the painful process of forgiving his brothers. Now he recognizes that the dream was to bring the family together. He says, “You shall….be near me.”
Later, after his father died, he said to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20). Some leaders are so intent on accomplishing their dreams that they ruin relationships in the process. But Joseph teaches us that dreams which divide are not from God. God’s dreams bring people back into relationship.
Joseph’s life teaches all servant leaders that God has a purpose for the dream. Dream on!
For further reflection and discussion:
- Is my understanding of the purpose of my dream closer to Joseph’s as a 17-year-old, or closer to his understanding as a mature leader? What is God inviting me to change?
- Is my dream about my own plans or the plans of God? In what way do I need to more clearly see God’s plan revealed in my dream?
- Is my dream about others bowing down to me, or about God using me to serve others?
- In what way does God want to use the dream I am currently pursuing to provide for others? How can I increase the way my dream meets their needs?
- Are there any broken relationships as a result of my dream? In what way might God want those relationships to be restored? What is my role in bringing needed healing?
- Has my family impacted my dream positively or negatively? (God’s design for families is for them to be places where dreams are nurtured and encouraged. But many crush and ridicule dreams instead, like Joseph’s brothers. Joseph’s family nearly busted his dream, but God helped him to use his family to build the dream.) What can I learn from Joseph’s family relationships that can help me respond appropriately in my family?