By John C. Maxwell
Leaders pay a price to bring their dreams to fruition. That price often comes due sooner and costs more than they think, and it must be paid more than once. Every dream contains negative surprises that can be greatly discouraging. But just because things don’t go as planned, that’s no reason to give up. Chances are, you’ll face more “Give up?” moments than “Go on!” moments. Look at the surprises Joseph lived through and how he reacted:
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- Misunderstood by his family Give up?
- Sold into slavery by his brothers Give up?
- Lived in a strange country far from home Give up?
- Given favor in Potiphar’s house Go on!
- Wrongly accused by Potiphar’s wife Give up?
- Thrown into prison Give up?
- Put in charge of all the prisoners Go on!
- Forgotten by the chief butler Give up?
- Remained in prison two years Give up?
- Interpreted Pharaoh’s dream Go on!
- Became second in command of Egypt Go on!
Joseph had twice as many give-ups as go-ons. So how did he have the strength not to give up on his dream? Whether he was in the pit, in prison, or prospering, he realized the Lord was with him.
Every time you find yourself in a give-up time of life, when the price of a dream seems too high, find the strength to go on by remembering the Lord is the one who called you to leadership. He is always with you and will help you accomplish his his purposes, despite the obstacles.
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The above is adapted from The Maxwell Leadership Bible / Third Edition by John C. Maxwell (@JohnCMaxwell). Copyright © 2002, 2007, 2018 by Maxwell Motivation, Inc. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. www.thomasnelson.com.
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