Your Father Has Favored You with a Gift

On the journey to purpose fulfilled, a story between a father and his beloved child is a central theme. As it is central to Joseph’s story, so it is central to your journey to fulfilling your purpose.

Your Father has favored you with a gift.

And one may be inclined to believe that in this instance, we speak of Jacob’s gift to Joseph – a coat of many colors – but there is an even grander love and favor evident in Joseph’s story.

At the genesis of Joseph’s journey, the story isn’t so much about Joseph and Jacob as it is about Joseph and God. All this to say that, while Jacob blessed his son with tangible material gifts, God FIRST blessed Joseph with tremendous gifts: gifts of an immaterial and intangible persuasion.

Starting from the second verse of his story – well before Jacob’s favor toward Joseph is introduced – we are told that, “Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing”. From this account, it is clear that very early on, Joseph showed an inclination toward management and overseeing. He owned a spirit of excellence. He had the desire to see things done in the right way and to ensure that “owners” and “leaders” got the absolute best out of their estates and those of whom they had left in charge of these estates. This God-given gift would stay with Joseph throughout his lifetime, and it is that gift, amongst others – his looks (according to the Scriptures, the man looked fine), his spirit of excellence, and his ability to see (vision) – that would propel him to the heights of influence in a foreign land.

So, what has God blessed you with?

Some He has blessed with the ability to speak in the courts of queens and kings, and others He blessed with the grace to interpret and support the dreams of others. Some He has blessed with beauty undeniable, and others He blessed with unsurpassable genius. And it may be inflammatory to say this in a world so volatile and reverent to political correctness, but in some cases, your gift is the color of your skin, the color of the irises of your eyes, the length of your hair, the passport you hold, or the family you were born into.

The gift may be a physical trait: timeless beauty, statuesque height and posture, beautiful skin, beautiful eyes, long eyelashes, unbelievably long legs, or even your skin tone.

The gift may be a character or personality trait: the ability to persevere or suffer long, the patience of Job, the ability to make everyone in a room feel comfortable, or in Joseph’s case, the ability to see (vision) and manage well.

The gift may be a skill or a talent: you may be a gifted writer, orator, poet, thinker, musician, artist, singer, designer, carpenter, cleaner, mason, plumber, electrician, seamstress, tailor, actor, or athlete.

Whatever it may be, the journey to fulfilled dreams begins with a gift; a testament of your Father’s – God’s – favor on your life.

What has He favored you with?

You may believe that these gifts were only given to the Usain Bolts, Michael Jordans, LeBron James-es, T.D. Jakeses, Naomi Campbells, Ed Sheerans, Dr. Dres, Kanye West-es, Oprah Winfreys, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, or Barak Obamas of this world. But they were also given to you. You may believe that gifts are only given to a select few, but I believe that EVERY human being has been given a gift. Still, if you hold strongly enough to the philosophy that these gifts are reserved for a select few, consider that you are part of the select few.

You have been favored by your Father, God.

You have been given a gift.

The Practical: Identify Your Robe

Take a moment to reflect on your own gifts and talents. Consider your skills, passions, and experiences that make you unique. Write them down and acknowledge the value they bring to your journey. You may already know what your gifts are, but just in case you haven’t quite been able to pin down what they are, here is one way to explore.

This plan was adapted from my book Dreamer and its accompanying journal.