Genesis 42:9a And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them.
Every time we remember an incident or an episode (good or bad), a 1000-inch LED TV screen is displayed in our mind. Our imaginations add words, dialogues, ambience and aesthetics to our past memory. Human brain records and remembers horror events with clarity and replays it over and over again. Reimagining and reliving humiliating and horrendous incidents of the past is the misuse of the gift of imagination. Revisiting the past adds pain to the hurt, frills the insult and turns it into a horror movie in our head. The world of imagination can take us back many years. This is why childhood trauma can have an indelible impact even after many decades.
Joseph suffered dreadful childhood trauma. His brothers, ill-treated him, attempted murder and eventually sold him as a slave. Consequently, he suffered separation from his father, slavery, injustice and incarceration. If he had replayed the gruesome abuse over and over again, it would have been fresh in his mind. However when he met his brothers in Egypt after about 22 years he remembered the dreams that he dreamt about them. He did not recollect their brutality and bestiality but the Bible says that he remembered the dreams/visions that God had given him as a young lad. His meditation was not on the malice and malevolence of the brothers but on the visions that God had given him.
Neurologists have confirmed that meditating on positive and prolific goals and visions improves focus and sharpens memory. Even before there were any scientific research papers that were published on ‘brain-power and positive-meditation’, Joseph chose to dwell on the vision rather than the virulent treatment of his brothers.
Our meditation is the paintbrush of our imagination:
1. Amicable: Is there a war in your head? Do you have arguments with yourself, and confrontations with someone who hurt you? If yes, the gift of imagination is misused. We can never change the abuse or make the offenders repent for their actions but we can change the canvas of our mind. Meditating on the fruitful future based on God’s promises will turn the hostility into an amicable picture of peace in our mind.
2. Commendable: Are you able to remember the details of the harsh words spoken by a teacher in high school, mother-in-law, friend or spouse? Replace it with God’s thoughts about you from the Word of God. You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand (Isaiah 62:3). Meditate on commendable comments about you.
3. Honorable: When thoughts of humiliation, rudeness and shame surge defeat it with the Word of God. Joseph would have overcome the bitterness and unforgiveness by refocusing his imagination on his God-given vision he had as a child. Imagination is a God given gift that gives us the ability to live in the promises that are yet to be fulfilled. Replace humiliation with honour.
Our imaginations paint the picture of our destiny.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Prayer: Father God, teach me to put the gift of imagination to the best use to paint the picture of victory and success. Amen
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