Huge Dream from God, But Nobody Believes You
Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more.
Do you have a dream? Is there something that God has put in your heart, a vision for your life or ministry? Many of us do. It may take many years for that dream to be fine tuned and purified as we continue to walk with the Lord. Maybe God has put something in your heart and mind—a big something, a dream that you are astounded and excited about. I imagine when Joseph woke up having had his dream(s), he was quite overwhelmed at the thought of what they meant and what they could be foretelling. All of the sudden he felt significant, something we all want to feel.
The trouble came for Joseph when he shared his dream with his brothers. Have you ever experienced something like Joseph did? God puts something big inside of you, and when you share it with others, instead of them sharing in your excitement, they speak against it or say things that deflate you. Maybe you’ve experienced something even worse, like Joseph, they turn against you and took offense. Being in a situation like that is not fun and can easily make you doubt what God may have genuinely placed inside you.
How should we relay a God-given dream to others, or should we communicate it at all? I want to give you several things to consider should you find yourself in such a situation.
God has spoken to you, not necessarily your friends and family.
The Bible says that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the very word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). The faith we have is actually a fruit of hearing from God. This is true in speaking of our overall faith in regard to encountering God, hearing and believing the Gospel. But I’m convinced it is equally true as we walk the walk of faith individually. Often God will speak to us, and when I say speak, I mean that we get a sense that the Holy Spirit is leading us in a specific direction, to a specific thing, or even sometimes a definite word of what will come. Our faith is ignited by this move of God toward us. As He speaks to us, our faith is set in motion.
Unless God speaks or moves in a special way in your friends and family, they are not going to have the faith that you will for the dream that God has put in you. You should not be surprised when they are not “bought in” like you are. Without a special gift of faith for a big thing, others will be skeptical and doubtful. Although they may be nice and try to support you, they won’t have the enthusiasm that you might like for them to have.
The lack of faith from others could potentially be a stumbling block to your obedience.
Since others may not have the faith you have, or may not be “bought in,” you should be strategic about whom you share your dream with or if you should share it with anyone at all. Let me take you back to Abraham for some consideration on this. Remember that God came to Abraham and commanded him to sacrifice his only son Isaac. This was a major test for Abraham, because God had promised him that through Isaac He would make him the father of many nations. Now God is telling him to go and sacrifice Isaac.
There is one part of the story that we should notice. In chapter 22 of Genesis, as Abraham is on his way and walking in obedience to God’s command, we see in verse 5 that he does something significant: “Then Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.'”
Most people emphasize Abraham’s comment, “I and the boy will…come again to you”, where he is speaking in faith that, not only Abraham, but Isaac will return also. This is truly an amazing demonstration of Abraham’s faith, no doubt. But look at what he is doing in this verse, he is telling the other people with him to stay behind as he moves forward to obey God’s command. He has not told them what God has asked of him. I believe that Abraham knew that having the others come any further would present a stumbling block to him obeying God’s command. What God had asked of Abraham was beyond what anyone else could comprehend, and because God had not spoken to the others, there was no way they would have the understanding or faith to believe this act was of God. They certainly wouldn’t trust that God would bring Isaac back from the dead as Abraham was believing (Hebrews 11:19).
Because Abraham was aware that the others with him on his journey could be a potential stumbling block to him fully obeying God’s command, he chose two things: First) he did not tell them what God had asked of him. Second) he left them behind as he went forward to follow through with God’s command.
What God had asked of Abraham was beyond what anyone else could comprehend, and because God had not spoken to the others, there was no way they would have the understanding or faith to believe this act was of God.
It takes more faith to be silent.
When God speaks to us and puts something of significance in our heart and mind, it seems to make us eager to share it with others. This has been true in my life. What I have found so often is that others are not as excited about what I’m believing. This discourages me. I have found that I need to be much more careful about how, when, and if I share such things at all. This is a difficult path.
Why is this so difficult? We feed off the encouragement of others. Many times we are having some doubts about the dream or the things that are in our heart. Part of the reason we are sharing is to get some kind of endorsement from our friends and family that says, “Yes! This is God! Go for it!” All the more reason, it is so disappointing when we don’t get that response. When we work this way, it puts us more and more dependent on the thinking and discernment of our friends and family, rather than our own individual walk and relationship with God. The journey of faith, walking with God, is not a team sport. We have to learn how to walk in obedience and faith with God as an individual. Sure, God gives us people to be encouragers and support, but part of the path of growing in Christ depends on walking faithfully with just you and God.
God will put you in situations and call you to things where all you have to go on is His voice and His leading. There will be no support, encouragement, or strength to lean on from an outside source. Shouldn’t this be our ultimate goal anyway—a true and genuine relationship with God that finds its strength and life only in Him. God desires that we can live and walk in faith, trusting fully in Him, not dependent on the support or faith of others: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
God will put you in situations and call you to things where all you have to go on is His voice and His leading.
Your true potential is based on the glory of God.
What others believe you’re capable of is based on their knowledge of you. They can’t know your true potential in the hands of God. Looking back on the story of Joseph and the verse mentioned at the first of this post, Joseph’s brothers had no idea what Joseph was truly capable of when God’s glory was on Him. As you follow Joseph’s story you see, although he had a difficult journey, he had God’s favor every step along the way—from being a slave in Potiphar’s house, to being in prison, then eventually God promoted him to be number two in command in all of Egypt. God knew all along what He could do in and through Joseph. Joseph’s brothers were clueless about this.
The same holds true with each of us, just as Joseph’s brothers could not foresee his full potential, no one is truly able to know your true potential. God can do anything with you. All things are possible. God can do amazing things with anyone, even you and me. He may very well speak an unbelievable dream or vision to you. If He does, believe it! Bank on it! And don’t be swayed by unbelieving friends or family. Honestly, you’ve probably not demonstrated that greatness yet, right? I think we all could say that. On our own, we are incapable, but in God and in His power, all things are possible.
I challenge you to use some wisdom and discernment in how you share the things God may have spoken to you. If others don’t encourage you, and maybe they discourage you, don’t let that rob you of your joy and your faith. God is able! Everything He says and does is good and true. Every promise of God is yes and amen in Jesus (2 Cor. 1:20).
