Living the Dream

Sunday begins our "Living the Dream" series; a four-week study in the life of Joseph in Genesis. This story of Joseph serves to me as a picture of our faith. Joseph is a man who was extremely blessed by his father. He had favor from his father beyond what he deserved. And yet, he knew that he was made for more than a pretty coat and his destiny was different than what he was experiencing.

Joseph had a dream. A God-given dream. A dream, however, that he could not fulfill. I feel like maybe this should become the definition of a God-given dream (or at least included in the definition): something you can't do. If you can do it you don't need God. If God can only do it, don't even try to fulfill it because you can't! That's the weird paradox about God-ordained vision: God gives us a picture of His destiny for us but doesn't give us the ability to make it so.

We can look at Joseph in retrospect and say that he could have avoided all the pain he endured if he had only kept his mouth shut. Maybe. But not necessarily. The longer I follow Jesus the more I think that God wants us to experience times when we are tossed in the can or left alone and forgotten before he accomplishes His work in us. I think God is more concerned with strengthening our character than He is concerned with accomplishing stuff through us. At the end of the day, when I look at Joseph, I think God is happier with the fact that Joesph became a humble, faithful worshiper than with the fact that Joseph's dreams came true. That said, God still accomplished His work and fulfilled His promise to Joseph.

I can look back with retrospect on my own life (just like I can look with retrospect on Joseph's life) and say that there are things I wish I had done differently. I most surely live with regrets over poor choices I have made in the past because many of those choices have consequences that I still live with. But even in those times, I am able to look back and pull lessons that I would otherwise have never learned. I live with dreams that God has given me years ago and He has continued to bring more and more clarity as to what those dreams are. One day, like Joseph, I will fall on my face in tears before God; amazed that He has done what He has promised.

God gave Joseph a dream. God gave me a dream. God gave you a dream. You might not remember it, but it's there and he's going to make it happen. As I go through this story, I see us all at different stages: maybe God's dream is crystal clear in our minds; maybe we've made some choices and we're dealing with those consequences; or maybe things have happened to us and we're dealing with injustice. Things may have clouded that vision; but our loving, gracious and sovereign God is accomplishing His purpose in us.

We all have been granted favor from the Father. We all have received more than we deserve. And God has much, much more in store for us than we have seen or could even imagine.