On your way to Fulfill the Vision God gave you

You, that have received a vision from God, can learn a great deal from Joseph's testimony so you won't commit the same mistakes he did, because if Joseph would've known a series of elements proper to the vision that comes from God, surely he would've saved himself many bad moments.

WHEN the vision was going to be fulfilled
Joseph didn't know when God planned his vision to be fulfilled. By the excitement shown when he told his brothers about the vision (Genesis 37:5-11), surely Joseph thought that it'd be fulfilled within few days, maybe weeks, but it wasn't, because his vision was fulfilled 20 years after he received it!

Have you received a vision from your heavenly Father that hasn't been fulfilled yet? Wait for it, because though it tarries, it will surely come! (Habakkuk 2:3) It doesn't matter if you received it many years ago, your Father was faithful in putting that vision in your heart and will be faithful in fulfilling it! Remember, He is the Author and the Finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2).

WHERE the Vision was going to be fulfilled
Joseph didn't know neither where the vision was going to be fulfilled. Surely he thought that it was going to be fulfilled right there where he was in Canaan, but it wasn't; it was fulfilled in Egypt, a different land, with a different culture, beliefs, costumes and language.

Unless that you have sensed that your Father spoke to you about a specific place, I recommend you to not assume that you know the place where the vision will be fulfilled, because if you're assuming a place that He never told you, you might be feeling frustrated for not being in that place or maybe you're making wrong decisions taking as reference a wrong place.

HOW the Vision was going to be fulfilled
Definitely Joseph thought that his family was going to say "amen!" to his vision and immediately they were going to bow down before him to fulfill the vision. It didn't happen like that. Joseph's imprudence combined to his brother's hate resulted a very sad way for Joseph. But remember this: The things that happen to you do not determine if your vision will fulfill or not. Your decisions do.

Are many things happening to you that make you think that they're taking you away from what your heavenly Father has for you? Well, if you get to think that you're getting away from your vision, then you are; but if you keep being faithful to Jesus, keep walking one step at the time, keep serving others, keep taking the best you can the opportunities that come along the way, let me tell you that you haven't moved away from fulfilling with what your heavenly Father has for you. You're in the right path. Keep it up! The fulfilling of your vision is getting nearer!

Remember that your heavenly Father gave the vision TO YOU. He neither gave it to anybody else nor to the devil. You are the only owner of your vision! Therefore, NOBODY has the power to move you away from it. The only person with the power to move you away from your vision is you.

The WHY of the Vision
Maybe the most important part that Joseph failed to understand was the reason of God's vision. When he saw in his dreams that the sheaves and the stars bowed down before him (Genesis 37:5-11), Joseph thought that his family would serve him, but God's intention was exactly the opposite: Joseph was going to serve his family by providing them food so they won't starve to death.

This principle works for ALL the visions from your heavenly Father. In other words, if the ultimate purpose of the vision is not to serve others, that vision didn't come from God. You are confusing a personal desire with a God's vision. Remember this: God didn't call you to be served by others, looked by others, applauded by others, praised by others, admired by others. He didn't call you to use others to fulfill your vision. Your heavenly Father called you to serve, look after, lift up, help and add value to others.

It doesn't matter what God has called you to, God called you to serve.

It doesn't matter in what position you are, if you're a leader or not, if you're the head or not, if you're known or not, if you have years serving or if you just started, it doesn't matter what you're doing, the ultimate purpose of the vision you received from God is to serve others. So, if you are serving others, you are on your way to fulfill your vision.

That's why Joseph never strayed from the way to fulfill his vision, because he served whatever the situation he was in: he served others as slave, he served others as prisoner and he served others as prime minister of Egypt.

NOTE: Joseph's brothers didn't reject God's vision, what they rejected was Joseph's presentation of it. Why would Joseph's brothers be against someone who'd save them! But Joseph didn't present himself like that, but like one that they had to serve. When people rightly understand the why of God's vision, almost always they'll receive it with open arms. People reject God normally because we, Christians, do not represent Him correctly. Our Father knows that the best way to win people's heart is by serving them, meeting their needs, showing them love, and the vision He gave you is not the exception. When you truly understand the heart of your vision, people will receive it.

The RANGE of the Vision
The vision Joseph received was only one little part of what God had for him, because God showed him when he was 17 that he'd serve his family, but ended serving all the nations of that region affected by the famine. The total range, that's to say, how many people he actually helped and its transcendental impact, Joseph never knew.

Do you believe that the vision that's in your heart is everything that your heavenly Father has for you? If you think so, you're wrong. That's only a part of a gigantic whole. Your Father has much more than He showed you, much more impact to others than what you think, much more touched lives than what you believe. Only in Heaven we'll actually know of the truly range of the vision that our heavenly Father gave us.

I hope this blessed you!

The willpower to decide better

You: what you are today, the way you think, the way you decide, the expectations and dreams you have, the discouragement or courage you feel, how negative or positive you are, etc., it's the result of ALL YOUR DECISIONS you've made in all your life. So, if you don't like what you are, change your decisions.

Do not expect that you're going to be different tomorrow if you keep doing today the same as always. Do not expect that you're going to change a lot tomorrow if you haven't changed much your decisions today. It's nonsense to expect a different tomorrow doing exactly the same today.

Many people complain about their lives. When you talk to them you'll always hear them to cite their list of all the people and situations responsible of why they are how they are. Everybody is responsible: the government, the economy, the family they grew up with, the boss they had, etc. Everybody BUT THEM. They don't realize that they were the ones that allowed to be as they are.

So that, IF YOU WANT TO BE DIFFERENT, START TO DECIDE DIFFERENTLY.

But, that's the problem. That is not that easy.

If you say to the person that want to loose some weight: "The solution is very simple: Just eat healthy," most likely his face will tell you sarcastically: "What's your secret to be that intelligent?" And this is because we normally do know what to do and what not to do, the real problem is that we don't do it because we don't have the willpower to do it.

I'm going to give you a tip which I assure you it'll help you: THE PRINCIPAL REASON FOR WHICH WE MAKE WRONG DECISIONS IS BECAUSE WE FILL OURSELVES WITH BAD THINGS. This is not the only reason, but it's by far the main one.

What you allow to enter in you, it'll come out of you.

If it came out of you, it's because it was in you.

Randomly pick a month of your life, examine it and realize how much time you spent with friends that are not good influence, how much time you watched TV, listened to radio or were on internet, filling yourself whether with bad things or with things that just not to help you to get to your goal. What do you do in your free time? What do you think when you are alone? All of this is of what you're actually filling yourself. This is your true influence.

"¡But this friend or this TV program is not bad at all!" Maybe that's right, but many times it's not about the bad thing we do, but the good thing we don't do. Ask yourself: Does this friend or this TV program (or whatever) help me to go to where I want? If the answer is NO, then the only thing it does is wasting your time. You are filling yourself with leisure.

So then, this is the tip: Don't worry so much for deciding differently, but for changing your influences, because when you change what influences you, then you'll eventually be changing the bad decisions you make.

Change your friendships, quit going to that place, stop watching that TV, radio or internet show, spend less time doing that that you know doesn't contribute to reach your dreams, read more books, go to seminars, take classes. This is starting to decide differently. This is filling yourself with good stuff which will give the willpower to decide correctly.

Assisting to a church and be part of it, maybe is the best decision you can make in this regard. You won't find people that love God, that encourage you to be better, that teach you the Word of God, that lift you up when you need it, etc., as much as in church. Get involve more and more in your local church and you will see that little by little your life will change to the better!

Hope it helps!