Dreams Give Us a Hint of the Future, But They Are Made of the Past

In our previous entry of this series of blog posts about lessons to learn from Joseph’s life, we used the example of his childhood dream to discuss the importance of vision and self-belief. Today, we want to continue with the example to help you understand something deeper and more significant.

THE OUTCOMES OF DREAMS DEPEND ON OUR WILL TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
They say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade – a beautiful lesson of wisdom, certainly. What does that really mean, though? In truth, the proverb is about an attitude that true leaders embody as they move through their lives. When they are thrown a curve ball, they hold the bat tighter, keep their eyes on the ball, and swing for their best shot with their whole being.

JOSEPH’S DREAM AND HIS PATH OF SERVICE
When Joseph had the dream about himself and his brothers in his young years, it was a clear indication that he was destined for greatness. However, it took several decades before he could truly find that greatness and be exonerated of the false crimes he was convicted for and be united with his father again. Yet, how do we find him during all those years? Was he complaining about it all, and doing nothing with his life? That would be a big no. Instead, we find him serving in whatever role he was given, to the best of his ability. He found the path to leadership through service and being responsible in all the places he was taken to.

Discussing the Egyptian master who bought Joseph as a slave, the Bible tells us:

"And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house…"
– Genesis 39:04

We again find the same pattern in what we are told about how Joseph behaved in the prison:

"And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison, and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it."
– Genesis 39:22

Joseph earned his rank in the eyes of the prison warden because of his humble nature, knowledge, wisdom, goodness, and his ability to lead. There is also the example of his service to the Egyptian people when he became the prime minister. In his service to his Egyptian master and in the prison, however, he chose to serve out of his sense of responsibility alone. In the prison, he had all the more reason to quit, but he continued to use the goodness of his heart and deeds. This is what made him the leader he became. This is how he used adversity and turned it into opportunity, which is probably the biggest lesson of leadership one could learn from this great man of God.