It Really Takes Time


When your dreams are still not getting fulfilled after months of trying, it's easy to get discouraged. What more if those months turn into years and years into decades. Will you just give up and let go of them?

As I was reflecting, I realized that it has already been two years since I started dreaming of becoming a full-time blogger. It has also been four years since I started dreaming of becoming a full-time entrepreneur. None of those dreams have come into fruition...yet. And there were a lot of times when I thought of giving up.

I'm glad I didn't.

One of my favorite characters in the bible is Joseph the Dreamer. Anointed at a very young age, it took him more than a decade before he was able to fulfill his destiny.

Joseph knew at the very young age of 17 that he was destined to become a great person—the greatest among his brothers. His older brothers got furious at him that they sold him to Midianite traders who, in turn, sold him to the Egyptian, Potiphar. While being Potiphar's personal attendant, he was wrongly accused of something he didn't do and was sent to jail. 

It took him 13 long years before he became the overseer of Egypt, second only to the Pharaoh in power. Aside from those 13 long years, it seemed that he would never achieve great things because of the circumstances he was in.

But, Joseph never lost sight of his dream no matter how long it took and how impossible it seemed after everything that happened.

Equally important was the fact that he bloomed wherever he was planted. When he was assigned to the household of Potiphar, he did a great enough job that Potiphar made him his personal attendant and put him in charge of all his household. When he was imprisoned, the chief jailer put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners and he did everything needed to be done there.

Joseph remained faithful to his destiny by being patient and by being persistent even when the odds were against him. Even when nothing was going on for him, he did his absolute best until he became the overseer of Egypt.

Through his experiences and setbacks, God prepared Joseph for far greater things than he ever imagined—from the greatest among his brothers to the greatest in all of Egypt.

Right now, it may already be years and it does’t seem like you’re getting anywhere. Worse, you may be experiencing setbacks like Joseph did. Your dreams may seem farther now than when you started.

But, remain faithful to your dreams by being patient and by being persistent. Like what Joel Osteen likes to say, "Your setbacks are God's setup." God is setting you up for greater things.

It takes time to reach your destiny, but don't just wait for it to happen. Hustle while you wait and bloom wherever you are planted.

"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 NIV