Ask God For a Dream (3)

“Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him.” Ge 37:5 NKJV

The story of Joseph teaches that success can cause others to mistreat you. Not everyone will celebrate your success, including some of those closest to you. When Jesus’ fame began to spread, the first people to reject Him were from the town He grew up in. It caused Him to say, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country” (Mt 13:57 NKJV). The Bible says of Joseph, “His brothers envied him” (Ge 37:11 NKJV). There it is—envy! When God blesses you, those who feel left out may target you. Some may feel more worthy and deserving, and that your blessing came at their expense. That’s how Cain felt when he murdered his brother Abel. That’s how King Saul felt when David killed Goliath and the people sang, “Saul has killed thousands, but David has killed tens of thousands” (1Sa 29:5 GNT). Shortly afterwards Saul started throwing spears at David, but the spear never left his hand until it plunged into his own heart (See 1Sa 31:5 NLT). That’s because envy is like a boomerang; it comes back to hurt the one who throws it. When the father of the Prodigal Son threw a party to celebrate his return to the family, the older brother said, “These many years I have served you…yet you never gave me a…feast” (See Lk 15:29 AMPC). The older brother made three mistakes we often make: (a) He compared himself to his brother. (b) He exposed his brother’s sins and shortcomings. (c) He failed to appreciate the extent of his father’s love for him and the blessings he had bestowed on him. So learn from his mistakes.

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