I admit, I’m a dreamer. Not the kind of dreamer that dreams in her sleep; no, that would be too convenient to get some rest while I dream. I’m the kind of dreamer that lies awake at night thinking of all of my hopes and dreams for the future. Even if I’m absolutely exhausted and want to fall asleep, some nights I just can’t seem to turn off my brain because there are too many good things spinning around in it.
I read about another dreamer in my Bible study time this morning. You might have heard of him before; his name was Joseph. In Joseph’s time, God often spoke to people in literal dreams while they were sleeping. Lucky them! He did this because they didn’t have the complete revelation of His Word like we have now. Joseph’s family knew him as a dreamer, but they weren’t all as excited about his dreams as he was.
Genesis 37:5-11
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
Joseph’s dream was that his family would one day bow before him. When I get excited about a dream God has put in my heart, I want to share it with others, so I understand why Joseph wanted to share his dream with his family. But this did not do much to win the hearts of his brothers who were already jealous of him because he was their father’s favorite. As I was reading this passage, God brought three truths to my mind about when and how to share our dreams with others.
- Be intentional about who you share your dreams with.
Joseph was excited to share his dream with his entire family, but maybe it would have been best to not share that dream with his brothers. Are there people in your life that might not really understand the intentions behind your dream? Those are not the people you want to share your dream with. Even though Joseph’s father initially rebuked him for sharing his dream, he took what Joseph said to heart because he knew God was speaking to his heart. Think of the people in your life who understand God’s working and confide in them.
- Be careful about the timing of sharing your dreams.
Maybe Joseph would have been able to share his dream with his brothers later on at a time when they may have received it better. After all, his dream did come true, and after that his relationship with his brothers was restored. Would it be wise to give God more time to develop your dream before openly sharing it with others? Sharing at the right timing could make all the difference. Even when Mary was given a glimpse of the deity of the baby she had given birth to she kept the truth about Him in her heart for some time.
Luke 2:19
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
- Don’t stop dreaming, even when others don’t “get it.”
It may not be the right time to share your dreams, but it’s always the right time to dream. I believe that God has an amazing plan for each of our lives, and as He reveals pieces of that plan, it’s exciting to dream about the things that may be yet to come.
1 Corinthians 2:9
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
As you follow the Lord, He will make it more and more clear what amazing things He has in store for your life. Is it time to share your dream with others? If it’s not, it’s okay to keep it in your heart for a little while. Maybe it is time to share your dream with others; I would love to hear from you! What dreams has God put on your heart? Let me know in the comments of this post on Facebook and Instagram by following the links below.