"His brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?" And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said...When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you? His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind." (Genesis 37:8,10)
Great dreams when shared with others elicit a cross-section of responses. Adopters buy into it with excitement. Laggards watch to see what would happen to it. The indifferent couldn't care less about it. Opponents despise and plot against it. Today we focus on the fourth response- opposition to the dream.
It is a good thing to be liked by others. It is great when others buy into your dreams. However the fact is that every time you share God's vision for your life, there will be some who would feel threatened by it. There will be those who will hate you and your dreams out of envy or jealousy. It shouldn't also be surprising that these people may not necessarily be strangers or far-off people. Opposition to your dreams will often rise from those closest to you. A man's enemy often are people from his household.
Parents may think you are stupid
Siblings may think you are crazy
Your spouse may remind you of current commitments
Friends may ask you to be more reasonable.
Your church people may think you are misguided and proud.
Joseph's family felt threatened by his dreams. They thought he was insolent. The family of Jesus labelled him crazy. Paul was deemed mad from his abundant knowledge.
Opposition will rise to your God-given dreams from quarters that will surprise you. Those you thought had your back may stab you there. You will hear murmurings behind your back. You will see blank stares of people as they mull your audacity to challenge their favored norm. People will call you for in for advising sessions on thinking things through. Analysis is good as long as it doesn't lead to paralysis.
When these begin to happen, don't be surprised or discouraged. Your dream is going through the normal process all great dreams must go through. A dream unopposed is worth nothing. If you have no head-on collision with Satan, the opposer of the brethren, it means you are headed in the same direction. He knows that oppositions from strangers are not as powerful as those from trusted ones. That's why your greatest opposers may have been your greatest confidants.
Refuse to be moved. Stick with your dreams. The sincere ones will eventually come around when your dreams start to bear fruit. You may lose them for now, but it is only temporary if you stick with your dreams. If you cave in, you may gain their approval now only to lose later because you missed the boat of God's call on your life and you are stuck in mediocrity.
If you are close to a dreamer, be careful how you respond to his or her dreams. Don't be one of those who pour cold water on budding dreams. Realize that a dream works in such a way that only the dreamer can at first see it with clarity. Be a believer and a supporter of other's dreams. Don't join the camp of the opposers.
Decision of the Day
I will not be surprised if opposition arise to my dreams from people close to me. I will hold on to what God has showed me. I will not be disobedient to the heavenly vision. I will be a supporter of other people's dreams even when I don't fully see what they see.
No comments:
Post a Comment