Pastor Dan’s Blog

From Dream To Destiny

Joseph’s dream led him to his destiny. He moved beyond the problems of the now into the promises of the next. Many of Joseph’s now moments would have caused many to give up on the next. Joseph was able to see beyond the now. Your dream is the hope that fuels your passion through the problems of the now.

 

When I was 17, I left San Jose to a small bible college in Arizona. I never lived in San Jose again. When I left, I did so knowing I would never return. Little did I know that God’s road map for my life included bridges I had burned.

 

I had a dream to make a difference. I wanted to encourage & challenge a generation through the word of God in a non traditional way. I had never dreamed that some day I would plant a church, pastor a church, author a blog that has reached 49 states and 72 countries, speak to NFL executives & players, it just wasn’t my dream but it was my destiny.

 

When I came out of high school, the Air Force was my destination. I took the ASFAB test and scored a 95% in mechanical and 17% in communications. In other words, public speaking was not my gift. In fact the recruiter told me I could pick my field in mechanical but would never be in the communications field. Now today, I am a communicator. Your dream will lead you toward your destiny.

 

The word of God explains it this way. The dream pushes you toward your ultimate destiny (purpose) for being placed on this earth. Joseph’s dream in actuality was a very small part of the big picture. Joseph’s dream was for his brothers to bow before him but to his destiny was to use his influence & power to save the world. The dream of his brothers was an insignificant part of his destiny. Sure the brothers eventually bowed before him but that was not his destiny. The bowing (dream) is the result of his destiny (purpose) being fulfilled.

 

Your dream is not your destiny but it will lead you to it.

 

Your dream is about you but your destiny is about others. Joseph’s dream was about people bow to him but the dream left out the “why” they were bowing. The “why” is our destiny. Like a carrot in front of a stubborn mule that motivates him to move, our dreams are God’s carrot to keep us moving toward our destiny.

 

Next week I will tell you how to push beyond the now in life to reach your next.

Tags: Destiny, dream, next, now, purpose

Vantage Point: Failure

How we see is more important that what we see.

 

Our vantage point or outlook on our failures can set us back or set us up.  Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player ever, became the best because of his failure. His failure to make his high school team is what fueled his fire to become the best. Our failures need not be fatal or forever. Each failure, properly viewed and responded too can become a launching pad toward your destiny.

 

Check out his video.

 

Remember, no arrow can hit its mark without first experiencing the pulling back and rising tension and pressure upon it. The farther it is pulled back, the farther it will go forward. It is the very tension and pressure that provides the momentum necessary for the arrow to achieve the desired velocity and hit its mark. Your setbacks are setting you up for your comebacks!

Tags: comebacks, failure, setbacks, vision

Vantage Point

Vantage Point according to Webster’s is a position or standpoint from which something is viewed or considered; especially point of view. In essence it is how we view things. Your vantage point determines your breaking point. We all have personal vantage points. Each crisis in our lives has been viewed differently. Every person in our family & even friends respond to these experiences differently. How we view each event will determine the ultimate effect that event will have in our lives, positive or negative.

 

How you see is more important than what you see.

 

A movie by the same name came out in 2008, which highlighted the same event through the eyes of various characters. Each saw the same series of events, yet through different sets of lenses sue to their unique vantage point. Our vantage point in life will determine whether or not our experiences will make us or break us, bring breakthrough or breakdown, or make us victims or victors.

 

How you see is more important that what you see.

 

Joseph’s life gives us great insight to vantage points and how they affect our outlook on life. Someone said one time, “If we have buggers on our glasses then everyone we see will have buggers on them.” Joseph’s trials can be viewed through three different vantage points:

 

1.      Through The Vantage Point Of Our Failures:

Joseph’s brothers carried the weight of the guilt and shame of their younger brother’s demise with them through out their lives. The sound of his cries never left them. They went on with their lives but seeing through the lenses of their failures. Even when blessings came their way, they considered it a curse. When they found the money they used to purchased grain in the each of their sack, they considered the blessing a curse from God.

 

Notice:

They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come upon us.”  ~ Genesis 42:21

 

Our failures of yesterday can skew our vision today. We live our life based on regret for sins & failures of yesterday. We reason that we don’t deserve happiness due to our failures of the past. So when blessings do come many people sabotage their happiness because they don’t think they deserve it.

 

How you see is more important than what you see.

 

2.      Through The Vantage Point Of Our Past:

Joseph’s father saw the series of events through the vantage point of the past. Past & failure are two different things. While both are products of the past, our past is not necessarily failure. Our past experience can affect our view of today’s blessings. Jacob’s vantage point has been affected by the perceived loss of his children. He has experienced difficulty & loss. Now, every event he see is now through the lenses of disaster.

 

Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!” ~ Genesis 42:36

 

Many experiences we have had in the past can change our vantage point in life. If we experience constant hardship we get use to seeing all events in life through the vantage point of trouble & tragedy. Jacob’s past experiences have even caused him to forget about his name changing encounter with God. He is still referring to himself as Jacob not Israel. His past has left him hopeless.

 

How you see is more important than what you see.

 

3.      Through The Vantage Point Of Our Destiny:

Lastly, we have Joseph who viewed each event through the lenses of destiny. Vision has the power to see beyond the current trouble to the coming triumph. It changes your lenses by which we view life. It does not dismiss the pain but is acknowledges a greater purpose is at work.  

 

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. ~ Genesis 50:20

 

Destiny is not fate. Destiny puts confidence in God not in chance. Destiny reasons that I am God’s therefore, He has a plan therefore I will be patient. Your ability to wait is connected to our confidence in the person who has promised. Joseph had great patience because he had great confidence in the God of his dreams.

 

How you see is more important than what you see.

 

So how do we change our Vantage Point?

1.      Face Your Failures

We cannot live life through the eyes of our failures because once we are in Christ we are new creations, the old is gone & the new has come. If we are new, then we have no failures of the past to worry about. If God has forgotten shouldn’t we? We have no past therefore & no failures. We can’t change our failures of yesterday but I can affect my choices today. You failed, okay. We all do. Now get up & move forward.

 

2.      Pass Up Your Past

The rearview mirror of a car is much smaller than the windshield because what is behind is less important that what is ahead. Our past can cause us to live in the rearview mirror of life not the windshield. Jacob missed out on the fact that Joseph was indeed alive, Simeon was in prison but still alive as well and Benjamin would not be killed but in fact taken care of better than any of the brothers! Our past can make us miss out on the breakthrough that is happening right in front of our faces.

 

3.      Declare Your Destiny

Joseph spoke his dream and ended up in a pit. When you speak your dream, get ready for the dream to take action. The dream belongs to God. Nothing you face can wipe out the promise God has for your life. Today view each and every pit & prison in life as a process towards the promise. Change your vantage point & change your breakthrough point!

 

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

 

 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.    ~ Romans 8:35-39

 

Nothing can separate you from God & He holds your destiny!

 

Remember, How you see is more important than what you see.

Tags: Destiny, failure, lenses, past, vantage point

One More Round

Back in 2006, one of the best rounds in boxing was fought by two warriors Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo. These two had faced each other in other epic battles. This fight however would be the most memorable. In the tenth round Corrales is knocked down twice by Castillo and seeming on the verge of defeat. After two brutal knockdowns it would seem wiser to say down. Bloodied, bruised, with a point being deducted for spiting his mouth piece for the second time, Corrales does the impossible. He gets up then he knocks Castillo out and wins by knock out.

Check out the video. (Thanks, Pastor Anthony!)

Breakthroughs are not given to the talented but to the tenacious. You never know what the next moment holds for you if you give up and throw in the towel in life. Each swing in life could be the knockout we are hoping for but we cannot throw a knockout punch lying on the canvas. We all need a little get up in life.

The Bible says in Proverbs 24:16, “The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.”

It is amazing that God’s view of righteousness is so much different than that of the religious folks. Many religious people would call a man that fell seven times a sinner not a saint. It seems that even in the Old Testament during the dispensation of the law that true righteousness was based the ability to get up and believe, even in the midst of failure. Abraham was considered righteous based on his faith not his failures.

You may have fallen or been tripped up several times by the same opponent in life but keep getting up. You are only a failure if you fail to get back up. You are not what you have done or what has been done to you. Get back up again, you never know if you have one more round left in you.

Get up, One More Round!

Tags: failure, faith, fall, get up, one more round, righteous, saint, sinner, stand

Breakthrough

Breakthrough happens when we refuse to breakdown.

 

Some of the greatest inventions in life were the result of a barrier the inventor had faced but refused to give up hope on. Some of the greatest stories are from people who overcame obstacles & handicaps (Ben Underwood). Whether in the medical arena, sports field, technology or travel, all breakthroughs can about because someone refused to breakdown & breakthrough.

 

Barriers are a way of life. Life is full of barriers, obstacles and roadblocks. These barriers can release great breakthrough in our lives or set us up for great breakdown. It all depends on how we face them. The life of Joseph gives us a wonderful picture of a man that refuses to breakdown.

 

He realized that:

 

Breakthrough happens when we refuse to breakdown and believe

Breakthroughs aren’t obtained by the talented but the tenacious. You see, Joseph was not a superhero. He was just a young man who realized God gave him the dream and only God could take it away. His brothers or his father could not take what they had not given to him. His dream would not be validated or voided based on his circumstances.

 

Breakthrough happens when we refuse to breakdown and prepare

Promotion comes without warning but not with out preparation. We cannot sit idly by and wait for breakthrough to happen. We must continue to give our best and prepare everyday for that day of breakthrough. Joseph kept doing the right thing even when no one noticed. His integrity would not allow him to stop doing his best. Everyday in Potiphar’s house or in the prison, he gave his best effort.

 

Breakthrough happens when we refuse to breakdown and be free

We all know people who have been released from prison but are still prisoners to their past. It is possible to be out of a situation but still be imprisoned by it. Your location might change but the memories can keep you locked up. If we are to breakthrough we must be free from yesterday’s bondages. You are not defined by what happened to you.

 

Notice Genesis 41:51

51Joseph named his older son Manasseh, for he said, “God has made me forget all my troubles and the family of my father.” 52Joseph named his second son Ephraim, for he said, “God has made me fruitful in this land of my suffering.”

 

Breakthrough happens when we refuse to breakdown.

Barriers are not removed in one decision or action, it is a series of decisions or actions. Joseph had two sons: Manasseh & Ephraim following his release from prison. Their names are important. Manasseh means “Forgetful” while Ephraim means “Fruitful”. The principle is deep but simple, “You must give birth to forgetfulness in order to produce fruitfulness.” You will never be fruitful as long as you hold on to the hurts of yesterday.

The Apostle Paul, the former persecutor & murderer of the church said:

 

13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 3:13

 

We cannot change our past but we can change our present & future. We must make a decision to give birth to forgetfulness. Like a baby, forgetfulness is a action that is conceived, developed and then delivered. It is a process.

 

Breakthrough happens when we refuse to breakdown.

 

How do we birth forgetfulness?

1.       Acknowledge hurt to begin with.

If we are to forget we must first admit the pain exists. Our natural defense system causes us to deny that any pain or hurt ever exist to begin with. We refuse to give the abuser the satisfaction to acknowledge their actions effected us in any way. Joseph was able to identify that he had had trouble in his life.

 

2.       Identify its source

Next, Joseph identified the source of this conflict & pain. He states that “the family of my father” is where the trouble came from. He had to identify the source if he was ever going to be healed. Knowing what caused the pain can be the first step to achieving freedom.

 

3.       Give it to God

Lastly, Joseph states that “God made him forget”. Every unfortunate memory of abuse, neglect, abandonment and betrayal has a pain associated with it. It is not until we are healed from the pain of the event are we truly able to event for the glory of God. The abuse is a one time affliction that left undealt with can imprison you for a lifetime. Once the pain is faced & handed over to God, you are now on the verge of breakthrough.

 

How can a sexually abused girl speak openly about her pain to others in need? How can a physically abused woman stand strong and encourage others in an abusive relationship? How can a former addict give hope to others who are struggling with addictions? They have removed the pain from the memory and moved into forgetfulness which releases them into fruitfulness.

 

Not being fruitful in your marriage, career, relationships or endeavors? Check and see if you have moved into forgetfulness. Forgetfulness must be produced before fruitfulness.

 

Remember, Breakthrough happens when we refuse to breakdown!

 

Tags: barriers, forgetfullness, fruitfulness, obstacles, roadblocks

Ability To Press On - Part Two

We are quickly approaching the final weeks and days of 2009. In a couple of days we will embark into a new decade. It is quite a stark contrast to the fear we entered into this decade with; remember the Y2K scare? (The world was going to shut down because of a computer glitch that would not recognize the year 2000)

 

Now we head into this new decade with hope. We are expecting better things. We believe for better times, economic stability and personal breakthrough. Why? Quite literally, for some things can’t get any worse. Things must get better.

 

Joseph had faced many challenging times in his short life. Trouble seemed to target him like a smart bomb. Regardless of his efforts, he would climb the corporate ladder only to come crashing down due to the actions of another.

 

He taught us how to handle difficult times:

1.      Change what you can, accept what you can’t.

Joseph’s success in every venue in life was the result of his choice to change what he could and accept what he could not. He lost little time on trying to complain or mourn over the various circumstances in his life. He would not allow a bitter spirit to destroy his dream. He understood that he could not control what others did to him but he could control his response to them.

 

In his book “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” Steven Covey talks about our circle of influence & our circle of concern. His whole thesis is that we spend way too much time dealing with the circle of concern, things we have no control over (people, economy, conditions) rather than expanding our circle of influence, the areas we have personal control over (our attitudes, our actions, our response). One focuses on others, the other focuses on our ourselves.

 

 

2.      Realize that God is still in control

This is probably one of the hardest things to accept. In times of trouble, when everything seems out of control and in chaos, is God really in control? Joseph was able to recognize early on that God may not cause everything to happen to him but God can use each individual trial and trouble for His ultimate glory. He knew God was in control. Like Rick Warren says, “God never waste a pain.”

 

28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

                                                                                                                           ~ Romans 8:28

 

Notice that this is not fatalism, there is a prerequisite to each test turning into a testimony; we must love God, be called and have a purpose. Like Joseph Jesus was able to keep the course knowing that His Heavenly Father had everything in control. In times of trouble realize He is still in control!

 

3.      Your location doesn’t change your favor

Joseph’s standing as his father’s favorite son did not change based on his location. In the pit & prison he was still his father’s favorite son. This recognition allowed him to excel in every environment. He knew that favor and blessing would follow him.

 

This principle is found throughout the word. The Prodigal Son was still his father’s son in the midst of famine & the pig’s pen. David was still king even in the Cave of Adullam. Jesus position on the cross sis not change the fact that He was the Son of God. Your favor does not change based on your circumstance or location in life. You are still favored by God, even in trouble times!

 

Like the squeezing of an orange or apple, what is in side comes out when pressure is applied. Difficult times don’t make us, they reveal us. They squeeze out of us what is really inside. I have come to recognize that times of trouble reveal our true belief & philosophy. What we truly believe in our hearts will be revealed when times get tough.

 

We say we believe that God is love yet we hold grudges against those who hurt us. We say we believe that God provides yet we stop giving at the first sign of trouble. We say we believe that God can restore marriages yet will walk out when we face the heat in our own marriage. We say we believe that God is in control yet we freak out and try to take matters into our own hands.

Stay faithful. Be patient. Promotion is on its way.

Tags: circle of concern, difficult times, favor, God in control, location, trouble

Ability To Press On - Part One

The life of Joseph, the dreamer, teaches us foundational truths to assist us in reaching our dreams. His personal challenges, sibling rivalries, blatant temptations and false imprisonment would cause a lesser man to throw in the towel and give up. I am convinced that change happens by choice not by chance.

 

I heard a quote recently that stated, “If your memories are bigger then your dreams, then you are already dead.” Throughout the stages in Joseph’s life he relied on his dreams to keep him moving forward from the pain of his past. He made a choice to give his best regardless of the path that brought him there.

 

Joseph had:

 

1.  Ability To See:  Vision

2.  Ability To Speak:  Confidence

3.  Ability to Believe:  Faith

 

Lastly he possesses the . . .

 

4.  Ability To Press On:  Tenacity

How do we continue when life has knocked us to the canvas of life? How can we keep moving forward when every step seems to create a new problem?

 

In Joseph’s life we see how the enemy tried to strip him of the hope of the dream. Satan could not take the dream away from him because he did not give it to him. He could however, attempt to take his hope away and in essence cause Joseph to give up on his dream.

 

We must identify how the enemy works:

 

1.       He Will Attempt To Use Those Closest To Us To Discourage The Dream.

It amazes me how very few parents or siblings actual support the dreams of others today. Like Joseph’s brothers, they want you to settle for life like they have. It is not always out of hate but from loving protection that a parent will unknowingly discourage the dreams of their children. I am not implying that your family is the enemy but I am saying that they can be sincere and still be sincerely wrong.

 

2.       He Will Strip Us Of Our Identity

The enemy must remove our identity in order to void our destiny. On three different occasions Joseph’s clothing is removed. First, his coat of many colors given by his father is taken by his jealous brothers. This was an attempt to take his favor. Second, his house coat of authority in Potiphar’s house is ripped off him by Potiphar’s wife in an attempt to sleep with him. She was not pulling on his coat; she was pulling on his destiny. Lastly, his prison garments are removed as he prepared to stand before Pharaoh. His graduation day came, today was his day of promotion. His days of trouble are now over.

 

3.       He Tries To Place Us Under The Bondage Of Another

This one is very interesting. Once in the pit and his murder reconsidered, his brothers sell him into slavery to their distance cousins the Ishmaelite. The one with a promise is held captive by those without the promise. It is amazing that the son of promise is sold into bondage to what Galatians 4:22-23 calls the, “human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise.”

 

You see Ishmael the first born of Abraham was not considered the son of promise because it was a human attempt and his mother was a slave. Isaac was the son of promise because he was born of a free woman, with a promise and it was “God’s own fulfillment of his promise.”

 

How many times are we held captive by those without a promise on their lives? Our bosses, supervisors, spouses, parents or siblings words of doubt have taken us captive. Joseph’s body may have been in bondage but his spirit, integrity and mind were free to dream!

 

To his credit, Joseph continues to serve with honor. I can’t change the circumstance so I will control what I can, me. He does his best to serve with honor & excellence.

 

Make a choice today to remember the enemy didn’t give you the dream, so the enemy can’t take it away.

 

 

Next, how to respond to setbacks.

Tags: bondage, change, choice, discourage, dream, identity

Ability To Believe

Once Joseph released his dream it seemed as if all the forces of nature fought against his dream. His own family hated him, they plot to kill him, sell him into slavery, he is falsely accused, thrown into prison, forgotten by people he helped and his once vivid dream is now a fading memory.

 

Joseph had to have experienced all the gamut’s of human emotions; anger, disappointment, abandonment, fear, bitterness, revenge, loneliness and even regret. Each one of these emotions was threatening to choking off the oxygen to his dreams in life. How do we go on when all our dreams seemed to have been crushed by the trials of life?

 

Joseph showed his ability to believe and exercised his faith when all his eyes saw discounted the dream in his heart. How can we continue to believe when everything we see screams that the dream is dead?

 

Like Joseph, we must:

     1.      Realize that faith is created in the heart not the mind.

That is why it is called faith. It is the evidence of things not seen. Our brains cannot reason what it cannot handle. Faith is not a reasoning agent. It transcends our ability to understand what is visible & tangible and causes us to believe what our eyes cannot see but our hearts believe. Faith is not blind trust in the unseen, it is firm belief in a relational God and His character.

 

2.      Never allow what your eyes see to determine what your heart believes.

Joseph’s eyes told him his vision was dead but his heart kept him holding on when all seemed lost. In every situation Joseph excelled and advance. He would not allow what his eyes saw to determine what his heart believed. The delay of his dream did not mean denial.

 

3.      Recognize that circumstances do not void the promise; they are the process to the promise.

Problems have a way of causing us to doubt that we are heading in the right direction. We reason that if it was truly God’s will, that the road we travel would be must easier, without resistance. In football the closer you get to the goal line, the harder it is to advance the ball. If you run the ball the wrong way you will find not resistance! The fact you have resistance proves you are heading in the right direction.

 

4.      Allow the vision of your heart must be greater than your sight.

To many times we allow our sight to control our vision. The vision of your heart must be greater than your sight. Our sight allows us to see what is but our vision gives us the capacity to see what could be & what should be. Vision allows us to see our marriage whole when our eyes see it is a mess. Vision grants us a peek into God’s original purpose for our life and our family.

 

Proverbs states, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” The word ascribes reasoning to our hearts not our minds. Your heart has the ability to believe. That belief can keep you moving in the right direction even when your eyes tell you to give up.

Tags: believe, dead, dream, emotions, faith, sight, vision

Ability To Speak

Many Biblical scholars attack Joseph’s choice to speak his dream and sight lack of maturity, issues of pride and total lack of tact in expressing his dream to his family. They say he should have remained silent rather than speak out boldly the dream he had. I couldn’t disagree more. His ability to speak spoke loudly of his confidence.

 

You see Joseph spoke out of confidence because he had a relationship with his father. Many dreams have died today because people have no relationship with their father. Adam, the father of creation was given the responsibility to name every animal in the garden. Good or bad, it didn’t matter. Whatever Adam called it that was its name. God agreed with whatever Adam decided to call it. The father has the authority to ascribe value and declare an identity to his children.

 

Jacob’s extravagant love for Joseph created a secure environment for Joseph to share his dreams. He spoke his dream which literally created the environment for his dream to germinate & grow. His brothers thought they were killing his dream when in reality they were releasing it. Sometimes your enemies will do more for your vision than your friends will.

 

Joseph was his father’s favorite son because he was born of Jacob’s old age but he remained the favorite because he did the will of his father. Joseph put his dad’s work first; he made a conscience decision to ensure that his father’s business was priority. He cared for the flock as if they were his own. This faithful created more favor. Joseph’s relationship with his dad produced confidence. It produced the security to speak his heart’s desires and believe he was created to rule & reign.

 

God’s intentions have always been relationship with mankind first & foremost. We were created for relationship not worship. You will find no mention of worship in Genesis before the fall. God’s purpose of the garden was like an expecting father who prepares the nursery for the coming child. It was all an atmosphere of relationship. In fact, Jesus powerful life was a result in His relationship with His Father.

 

Kris Vallotton said, “Our words create worlds.”

 

The world was created by the spoke Word, when God said, “Let there be . . .” Everything we see was created out of the thought off God. We were created in His image. Which means we too are creative beings, not just created beings.

 

Therefore, just like God we create with our words. Our words create the world in which we live. Our words are the frame work in which our hopes and dream are built. We can create a world where miracles can happen or settle for a life of hopelessness. There is no such thing as a meaningless word. Each word creates a world our spouse, children, family and ourselves will live.

 

Your words like Joseph’s can open the door to destiny.

Tags: confidence, creative, Kris Vallotton, relationship, speak

Ability To See

I love dreaming. Nothing moves me more than to hear the visions & dreams of others and help them bring those things to reality in their lives. It is like drinking a six pack of Red Bull when I hear people talk about their visions and then see those very things come about in there lives. It energizes me to see others live their dreams.

 

The life of Joseph inspires me much the same way. He is the Bible’s ultimate dreamer. He was brave enough to dream bigger than his birthright. He would not limit his dream to make his family or friend’s comfortable with him. He had a dream and like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. he wasn’t afraid to speak it either.

 

An ambitious dreamer, Joseph was also his father’s favorite son.  His favor was based more than just his age but on his obedience to his father’s wishes. I have always said that God loves us all the same but His favor is based on obedience. Joseph had certain qualities that one must possess in order to achieve their dreams.

 

Here are a few . . .

 

Ability To See

Everything we touch, taste and see is the result of the vision of another. The car you drive, the chair in which you are sitting, the computer screen that you are reading this from, are all the result of the vision and imagination of another. Everything you touch is the result of the vision of another. They saw it first in their minds before they became reality.

 

There is a big difference between having sight and having vision. Sight is the ability to see what is. While vision is the ability to see what could be. Sight is a function of the eyes, while vision is a function of the heart.  

 

You see anyone can look and see what is wrong with your marriage, your children, your finances or your attitude. It takes a person of vision to look beyond what the eyes perceive and see how things could be and should be in those areas. Helen Keller stated, “What’s worse than being blind is having sight without vision.”

 

Vision has the power to look beyond the now and see the next. It has the faith to believe the heart more than the eyes.

 

Can you see your marriage whole? Can you see yourself out of debt? Can you see yourself living healthy? Can you imagine your children living their dreams?

 

You must see it before you handle it.

 

Secondly, Ability to Speak . . .

Tags: eyes, heart, see, sight, vision