Joseph was the 11th son of Jacob and his father’s favorite child hence his coat of many colors that we all know about. As a teenager, Joseph had dreams about being a leader (his brothers and even his parents bowing down to him) and his revelation of these dreams as well as the love of his father caused his brothers to “get rid” of him. Joseph eventually made it to the palace and became the leader he dreamt about. His path to the palace however, was laden with service at very low levels – from Potiphar’s servant to being a prisoner. To become a “leader”, Joseph first had to “serve”.
For you to be great at whatever God designed you to be, there are some experiences you have to go through and character traits you have to develop. To be a great leader, you have to be a great servant; you have to be able to empathize with the people you’re leading. What better way than to experience it first hand? Little wonder Jesus said you have to be the least to be the greatest. How do you change lives if you don’t pause to listen and understand where those people are coming from, put yourself in their shoes and seek divine guidance on how to impact them for God? How do you help mentally challenged people if you don’t spend time with them to understand their need?
The process you go through is always a function of the extent and impact of your God given assignment and at certain times, it might seem like you are completely off course (ask Joseph what he thought about his dreams when he was being accused by Potiphar’s wife). In some cases, you have to walk the path of the people you are sent to by going through that same experience. In other cases, you have a heavy passion (you can really empathize) and you understand the gravity simply by observation and engagement. Whichever it is, there has to be a process to prepare you to achieve your purpose since God doesn’t raise failures or waste resources.
So regardless of where you are in the process, stay open, remain a good steward and trust His grace to help you live the impactful life He created you for. He has promised He will never leave or forsake you.
Remain connected,
Bolaji Ajayi
And the word became flesh 