It appears seventeen-year-old Joseph (See verse 2.) was not operating at peak emotional intelligence. That would come later. He was well known for his vivid dreams in which he played a starring role. He enjoyed telling his dreams to his family. His family, even his doting father, were not all that excited about his vivid imagination. 

This is a good time to pause and ponder: How emotionally intelligent am I? This is also a good time to add this to our prayer lists of character qualities we want God to build into our lives along with those we find in Galatians 5:22, 23 and 2 Peter 1:5-9.

Big dreams about ourselves should be shared, if at all, sparingly and narrowly. Spouses, coaches, and mentors are good people to let in on our dreams. Journals are good for creating precision in our thinking. Prayer is beneficial in seeking God’s clarification and next-step plans. 

Dreams often take a long time to come to fulfillment. God’s Dreams, like Joseph’s, are worth the wait however long they take.

Little Joe’s brothers apparently thought he was either delusional or arrogant, or both. This is one reason you might not want to share Big Dreams too broadly. 

The skepticism coming from Little Joe’s brothers is understandable. LJ’s dreams no doubt felt like a threat. They surely sounded considering the fact that the richest thing about their home was how many people inhabited it. 

This is a good reason why we take our dreams to our spouses, coaches, and mentors. They can help us sort out delusional American Idol fantasies from God Dreams. In case you’re having a hard time determining which is which, American Idol fantasies are all about ME. God Dreams are all about God’s purpose in this world that benefits everyone everywhere. 

Little Joe was thrilled at what his dreams made possible. He would rule. He would bless. He would be well-regarded by everyone. All of this came true. But there was no straight line from his teenage universe of big dreams to saving family, friends, and a nation. There was a journey leading through the hardest of hard times that placed him precisely where he needed to be when he needed to be there so that God could deploy him in fulfillment of dreams placed in his heart so long ago that they felt like mockery.

Childhood dreams appear very different in the mind’s eye of an aging adult. Fantasies fade. God Dreams become ever-more luminescent. In that dark, dank prison where there was so much filth and so little light, Joe could still see with clarity and conviction what God had been developing in him for a lifetime. 

Where are you in the life God dreams for you? 

Who can help you process your best next steps? 

Who will listen to your dreams with your same wonder and delight? 

Who can help you arrive at the destination God has booked for you?

What’s the most emotionally intelligent truth you can speak to your own heart now so that you can step into a better life than you dreamed possible, a life God dreamed for you? 

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I will ask God to shape and empower my dreams knowing they are better than my dreams for myself. 

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Our Father, what you want for me is better than what I want for myself. Therefore, whatever you want, that’s what I want, too. Lead me into the life of your dreams for me. Amen.