I believe each one of us has a dream placed in our hearts, not the kind of dream like winning the lottery which is really the desire to escape our present circumstances. I am talking about a vision deep down inside that speaks to the very soul. The thing we were born to do, that draws from our gifts and talents, appeals to our highest ideals, sparks the feeling of destiny in our life and is inseparably linked to our purpose in life, the dream that links us to the success of our journey between the lines of a time to be born and a time to die.
This morning I want to talk about dreamers, hopefully I will be talking about you.
In Genesis 37 we read of a dreamer by the name of Joseph. His dreams spans from the 37 chapter to the last chapter of Genesis, chapter 50. Quite a dream, but than aren’t dreamers filled with dynamic vision. Look at verse 5 as we peer into his dream (READ 5-11)
We have the advantage of reading ahead, to see the fulfillment of his dream. But it wasn’t easy. No visionary will have an easy time. Joseph felt the jealousy of others, in this case, his own brothers. Joseph was almost killed for the dream by them. Sold into slavery wasn’t quite the picture of the dream. Young, handsome, the object of seduction. Joseph did not lose sight of the dream despite the difficulties, remaining faithful to God and the dream. Joseph did not give in to Potiphar’s wife so he was falsely accused by her of attempted rape. Her word against his, the owner against the slave. We know without reading ahead who would win that battle. Potiphar has him jailed, that should be enough to end this dreamer’s vision of the future. But it didn’t. The opposition worked as a refiners fire in his life. Now he is able to be used of God to interpret the dreams of a cupbearer and baker of the Pharaoh, which opens the door for interpreting the Pharaoh’s dream and the eventually fulfillment, in God’s time, of his own dream.
The path of dreamers usually follows a similar pattern. Their dreams are not generally accepted for some time. But it doesn’t stop the dreamer. Henry Ford had a dream that grew out of his interest in mechanical things as a boy. He was intrigued by the automobile, built his first one out in a shed behind his house. His dream was to put the horseless carriage, at that time only available to the wealthy, into the hands of the common person. He helped form the Detroit Motor Company, where his fellow organizers balked at the idea of manufacturing their product inexpensively in order to sell to the masses. Ford left the company, but he did not leave his dream. In 1903 he organized the Ford Motor Company and produced the Model T. The first year, only 6,000 cars were built, but only 8 years later, over 500,000 cars a year rolled off the line. They were able to reduce the cost from $850 to $360, Ford’s dream, like Joseph’s, came to pass.
Let’s talk about what a dream does. First, it gives us direction. Have you ever known a person who doesn’t have a clue about what they want in life, but are successful? Neither have I. Our dreams give us something worthwhile to aim at. It is a compass, telling us the direction to go. And if you move in any direction other than toward your dream, you’ll miss out on the opportunities necessary to be successful.
A dream also increases out potential. Without a dream, we may struggle to see the potential within ourselves because we are unable to look beyond our current circumstances. Following our dream, we begin to see ourselves in a new light, having greater potential and capable of stretching and growing to reach our dream. Like with the life of Joseph, every opportunity we meet, every resource we discover, every talent we develop, becomes a part of our potential to grow toward that dream.
Our dreams help us to prioritize. It not only gives us hope for the future, but power in the present. Remember last week I said, a person who has a dream knows what he or she is willing to give up in order to succeed. Unfortunately, many people do just the opposite. Instead of concentrating on their dream and letting go of less important things, they try to keep everything going so they have more options. And they never quite succeed, for you spend so much time keeping things going, preserving the options, that they never quite move forward to the dream.
A dream will also add value to our work. It puts everything in perspective. Imagine if Joseph did not really believe his dream came from God. He probably would have made other choices with his life that would not have gotten him to where God intended him to be. But he realized, those things that came up along the journey, as unpleasant as they were, would be used to ultimately contribute to the fulfillment of the dream.
Vince Lombardi said, "I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour--his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear--is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle--victorious." A dream provides the perspective that makes that kind of effort possible.
A dream predicts our Future. It gives us a mental picture in our mind, making us participants not spectators, so we are not blown by changing winds, but focused on what lies ahead. It doesn’t mean we have any guarantees, but it does increase our chances of success tremendously.
This morning, I want to challenge you, Dare to Dream, and then to act upon those dreams, in spite of problems, circumstances, and obstacles. Be like Joseph. Live out your God given dream.
The whole process begins with the seed of an idea. A vision given from God. Some people discover their dream in a flash of insight after working in an area for years. Some receive it during a time of prayer. Others are motivated by an event from their past. Let me give you 5 quick steps that will clear away the clutter and help you discover or fine-tune your dream.
1. Believe in your ability to succeed. You cannot perform in a manner inconsistent from which you see yourself.
2. Get rid of your pride. People who are full of themselves usually don’t have much room left over for a life-changing dream. Pride puts the focus on appearance rather than potential, and it prevents you from taking risks.
3. Cultivate constructive discontent. Discontent is a driving force that makes people search for their dreams. Complacency never brings success and only constructive discontent will motivate you to find your purpose and grow to reach your potential. Every invention registered in the U.S. Patent Office is the result of creative discontent. Each inventor, not satisfied with something the way it was, found a way to constructively overcome her dissatisfaction, either creating something new, or improving on what already existed.
4. Escape from habit. Habits can be defined as something you do without thinking. Habits can kill a dream because when you stop thinking, you stop questioning and dreaming. You accept what is without considering what could be.
5. Balance creativity with Character. Successful people have enough creativity to think it out and enough character to try it out. They have enough creativity to see it in their minds, and enough character to produce it with their hands. All the dreaming in the world will not work unless you wake up and go to work.
Then, after you have caught the dream, you must invest in it emotionally, it has to go beyond your thoughts to your feelings. That is when Joseph became a threat to his brothers, they could sense the feelings of his dream. Then you have to seek after it. It takes hunger, tenacity and commitment to see a dream through to become a reality.
If you have not already discovered your dream, you hopefully realize how much you are missing. A dream will provide you with a reason to go, a path to follow, and a target to hit. Yogi Berra said, "If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else."
Today, I want you to make a commitment, a commitment to yourself to find your dream and follow it. The road that lies before you is one I know well, for I have made that commitment to pursue a dream and have been traveling the road for some time, and I am committed personally to travel alongside you until you are ready to carry on without me. But no matter how much help I can give, you won’t make it without commitment. So I have made a commitment card for you in your notes and a copy for you to leave at the alter. Let me read it to you.
I commit myself today to being successful. I recognize that success is a process, not a destination. I will discover my dream and do what I can to...
Know my purpose in life
Grown to reach my maximum potential, and
Sow seeds that benefit others.
Although the road may get bumpy, and it may require me to learn a new way of looking at life, I will do what it takes to persevere. I will take the success journey.
Now, I want you to sign it, come to the alter and spend a moment making that commitment to God, leave the copy so I pray for your commitment, and then begin to dream again.
The potential for greatness lives within each of us. The key to achieving greatness is found when we discover and then develop our dreams. As many of you are signing the commitment, I know you and I are well on our way to some of the greatest spiritual discoveries of our lives.
ALTER
