Joseph is leading at last! He’s a national leader overseeing the process of collecting and storing grain during the seven years of abundance. In the evening he goes home to a wife and two sons! All seemed well. Joseph had settled for the “dream job” without accomplishing the dream. But as the years of feasting turned to famine and Joseph was in charge of selling grain, people from other nations began to arrive. And then, one day, his brothers were in the line! Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the one who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. "Where do you come from?" he asked. "From the land of Canaan," they replied, "to buy food." Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected" (Genesis 42:6-9). In a moment, as he saw his brothers bowing down, Joseph saw his dream unfolding. His father, mother and one brother were not yet included. But it was clear to Joseph at this point that there were only a few more details to be resolved before his dream from 20 years before would be a reality. But this unfolding of the dream was another time for Joseph’s dream to be tested.

Unfolding dreams test focus.

Joseph could see some of the dream happening but not yet all. Suddenly he needed to decide where he would focus. For more than 7 years he had focused on leading a nation and perhaps had accepted that as God’s fulfillment of his dream. Could he now focus again on the dream that included his family or would he turn away from them and focus on his “dream job?” Servant leaders acknowledge that partial success is not a complete success. They learn to keep focused on the dream until it becomes a reality.

Unfolding dreams test faith.

Will Joseph be able to trust God for the fulfillment of the dream? Or would he take revenge and kill his brothers along with the dream? Would he take control of the dream now that he was a seasoned leader doing great things? Or would he continue to trust God to fulfill the dream? Would he step in and ‘help’ God by speeding up the process? Joseph had to remember that it was God who brought him to this level and it would still take God to accomplish the dream. Those who have succeeded in leadership are always tempted to have faith in their own ability to accomplish their dream. Servant leaders put their faith in the God who gives dreams, not in themselves.

Unfolding dreams test fears.

Did you ever wonder why Joseph didn’t go home to visit his family during the 7 years that he was free? Maybe he was trying to forget the pain of the past and the memories of how his brothers treated him. Maybe he was afraid that his pain would be released in uncontrolled anger. But God allowed the unfolding of the dream to help him confront the pain and face his fears. Servant leaders learn that as dreams begin to unfold, God often leads them to face their deepest fears. This may be fear of failure or fear of what others may think of them. It may be fear of success and not being sure if they can handle it.

Joseph took three days to wrestle with his unfolding dream. The plan he developed showed that he passed the test. He would keep his focus, strengthen his faith, and face his fears as he waited for the complete fulfillment of his dream.

For further reflection and discussion:

• When my dream begins to unfold, am I able to keep my eyes on the dream or have I focused elsewhere? Have I become content with seeing only a part of my dream come to pass?
• As I achieve success as a leader, am I able to keep my faith in God or do I trust my own ability to achieve my goals? In what ways am I tempted to ‘help’ God by speeding up the process?
• What are my greatest fears related to my dream? Is it fear of failure? Is it fear that I may not be able to handle success? How does God help me to face my fears?

The 17-year-old Joseph traveled to Egypt as a slave and his dream for leadership seemed dead. The next 13 years of Joseph’s life were painful and difficult. First, he was sold as a slave and served in Potiphar’s house. Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned (Genesis 39:1-4). Then Joseph was wrongly accused of sexual assault by Potiphar’s wife and was sent to prison. For several years he was a prisoner and again his hard work and integrity helped him become a leader in the prison. In some ways, his dream of being a leader began to happen, but certainly not in the way he expected.

What was God doing during all these difficult years in Joseph’s life? Joseph’s dream was being severely tested. God used those years of testing to develop leadership qualities in Joseph that would serve him well in the future.

Years of testing developed character.

God had a lot of work to do in Joseph’s heart. As he learned to serve under an Egyptian leader and later in prison, he learned submission to authority. He learned that serving under authority comes before being in authority. His status as a favorite son was gone and he learned to humbly serve others. The pride of his youthful dream was broken. During these years of testing, he faced a powerful test of sexual purity. His response revealed his character, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). Servant leaders welcome times, even long times, of testing. They recognize that character takes years to develop but will impact their leadership for a lifetime. Testing does not make them bitter, it makes them better.

Years of testing developed knowledge.

During these years of testing Joseph also gained a lot of knowledge. In Potiphar’s household, he learned accounting skills and developed his ability to keep records. He developed a good knowledge of the Egyptian language and culture. He learned about himself and his own gifts and passions. Servant leaders recognize that they need to grow in knowledge. They are passionate about reading, learning and reflecting to develop the knowledge they need to lead effectively.

Years of testing developed skills.

Joseph dreamed of becoming a leader to whom others would bow down. But he had a lot he needed to learn about leadership skills. These years of testing taught him many skills of leadership. As he managed Potiphar’s home and the prison he learned organizational skills. He learned how to relate well with others and to be sensitive to their needs. He was slowly learning the skills he would soon need to lead a nation. Servant leaders acknowledge that leaders need skillful hands. They welcome feedback from others to identify areas they need to improve. They continually seek to become more skillful so that they can influence more people for the Kingdom of God.

Joseph did not know that these three areas, character, knowledge, and skill, are the places in which God needs to develop all servant leaders. But he allowed God to do this work in times of testing. He did not allow the testing to produce bitterness or to give up on the dream. Instead, the time of testing prepared him to be a leader.

For further reflection and discussion:

• What testing have I gone through in my own leadership journey? In what areas did I pass the test? In what areas did I not do well? What more might God need to do in my own life?
• Consider the three areas that were developed in Joseph’s time of testing: character, knowledge and skill. In which of these am I strongest? In which am I weakest? How is my leadership impacted by my strengths and weaknesses in these areas?
• What is my attitude when I am faced with a time of testing? In what ways does Joseph’s life and attitude during this time challenge me? (Read the full story in Genesis 39 and look for indications of Joseph’s attitude towards work, authority, trials, etc.)