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Gen 37:5-11
“And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told [it] his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 7 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. 8 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. 9 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. 10 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? 11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.”
Joseph is a case study of a young man who lived and fulfils his God-given potential. We will therefore draw up some lessons from him today with a view of learning some important tricks in discovering and releasing our potentials as well.
· What is potential?
Dictionary meaning:
1. Possible but as yet not actual: having a latent possibility or likelihood of occurring, or of doing or becoming something.
2. Capacity for development: a capacity to develop, succeed, or become something.
3. Possibility: that may develop into thing specified…
In my own words:
It is the yet to be, dreams yet to realise, the success yet to achieve, etc.
STEPS TO RELEASING YOUR POTENTIAL
1. Discover yourself – Gen 37:5-11
1. Know who you are 2Kings 4:1-7
2Ki 4:1-7 “Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. 2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said,Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil. 3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, [even] empty vessels; borrow not a few. 4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. 5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought [the vessels] to her; and she poured out. 6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, [There is] not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. 7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.”
· Discover your area of giftedness
· Be passionate about your gift(s)
2. Develop yourself – Gen 39:2-6
Gen 39:2-6 “And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the LORD [was] with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. 4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all [that] he had he put into his hand. 5 And it came to pass from the time [that] he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. 6 And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was [a] goodly [person], and well favoured.”
· Acquire useful knowledge about your gift(s)
· Be interested in useful information to your gift
· Build up your character
3. Get into your dreamland – Hab. 2: 2-3
Hab 2:2-3 “ And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make [it] plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. 3 For the vision [is] yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”
· Develop a specific vision for your life
· See your dream everyday
· Avoid dream killers – Gen 39:12
Gen 39:12 “ And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.”
4. Cast off your leisure dress – Deut. 32:11-12
Deu 32:11-12 “ As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: 12 [So] the LORD alone did lead him, and [there was] no strange god with him”.
· Stay where you will be stretched
· Avoid temporary ease – Rom. 8:18-19
Rom 8:18-19 “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God”.
5. Finally, know your source
· The bible is God’s manual on you. You need to know and heed the requirements, guidelines and warnings it contains. – Josh. 1:8
You alone can make you a better you because there is no other you.
It is generally believe that letter U is so important that if it is removed from the alphabet, 3000 words would have been affected. You mean so much to the world.
