Genesis 42:9
And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
We often talk about Joseph being a dreamer, but I believe one of the great aspects of Joseph’s character is that he never gave up on his dreams. He remembered the dreams because he never gave up on them. When Joseph’s brethren came to request food, he remembered those dreams when he was a teenage boy when God told him one day his brothers would serve Him. There are several critical lessons we can learn from this character trait that Joseph exhibited that we should instill in our own lives.
First, you can’t remember dreams if you don’t have a dream. One of the greatest reasons so many don't do anything with their lives is because they have no dreams for their life. A pastor that has no dream for his church is sure to pastor a floundering church. A bus worker that has no dreams for those who drive their buses is sure to lead them nowhere. The Sunday school teacher that has no dream for their class is leading their class to do nothing. Dreams have a way of giving you direction. You show me the person who has no dreams and I will show you a person who lives a directionless life. Dreams are critical to accomplishment. I would much rather fail at my dreams becoming a reality than to succeed at having no dreams and living a life of mediocrity.
Second, don’t forget your dreams because others throw cold water on them. Despite Joseph’s father admonishing him not to talk about his dreams, he never gave up on them. You will find many will not be as excited about your dreams as you are. In fact, many will try to damper your dreams because they have no dreams themselves. Never let the dream-squashers dowse your dreams for God with the negative mindset that it will never happen. Some don't want you to pursue your dreams for God because they enjoy living their lives doing nothing, and if you accomplish your dreams, they will look bad. When I became pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church, many thought I could never build a church. Though I am not done pursuing after the bigger dream, many have had to swallow their pride to admit that my dreams have become a reality. I had one preacher criticize me in a disparaging way about my dream to build a great church by saying, “Go big or go home.” Well, I decided to go big, and God has honored part of this great dream. You cannot allow those who enjoy mediocrity to kill your dreams for God.
Third, never let life’s obstacles keep you from your dreams. Joseph faced many obstacles that could have easily killed his dreams, but he remembered the dreams. When he was sold into slavery, those who sold him said in Genesis 37:20, …we shall see what will become of his dreams. They didn't realize that they were prophesying, but they did see what became of his dreams as they were begging for his mercy. My friend, just like Joseph, you will face many obstacles that will tell you there is no way your dreams will ever become a reality, but you must never give up on your dreams for God despite what life throws at you. You will never know if God is allowing these obstacles to set up your dreams to become a reality through them.
What are your dreams for God? Let me remind you that you have nothing to remember if you don't have a dream. If you do have a dream for God, keep remembering and pursuing those dreams until God makes them a reality.