The Real Target

Joseph's brothers had plenty of reasons to resent him. He was their father's favorite. He wore that ridiculous coat. He'd tattled on them. But when they finally decided to kill him, they revealed what really bothered them.

Genesis 37:19-20 "And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams."

Did you catch that? "We shall see what will become of his dreams."

They weren't just killing their brother. They were killing the dreamer. And they weren't just killing the dreamer; they wanted to kill the dream.

When Dreams Feel Like Accusations

Here's what happens when someone around you carries a God-sized dream: it exposes the size of yours. Joseph's dream didn't just bother his brothers because it put him in charge. It bothered them because it forced them to face what they weren't dreaming about.

His vision made their lack of vision unbearable.

The brothers could have asked, "What's God saying to our family?" Instead, they asked, "How do we make this uncomfortable feeling go away?"

That's the anatomy of dream-killing. When we feel inadequate to live out something big, we attack it in others so we don't have to face our own emptiness. We can't stand the mirror.

It's easier to kill the dream than to admit we've stopped dreaming.

The Great Commission and the Dream Killers

I've watched this play out in ministry for over 50 years. Many sincere men and women of God feel they've failed at the Great Commission. They look at the billions who've never heard the gospel. They see their own small sphere of influence. They wonder if they've made any difference at all.

And then they meet someone who talks about world evangelism with fire in their bones. Someone who believes God can still reach the unreached. Someone who dreams about launching into places no one else will go.

And something inside them reacts.

Not with encouragement. With resistance.

They start saying things like: "That's not realistic." "You don't understand how hard it really is." "You're being naive." "That ship has sailed." "Those days are over."

They're not correcting bad theology. They're killing the dream because if the dream is still alive in someone else, it means they have to face why it died in them.

Matthew 28:19-20 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."

That commission hasn't been revoked. It hasn't been updated. It hasn't been replaced with "Go therefore and manage your local programs comfortably."

But if we feel we've failed at it, we'll do everything we can to make sure no one else tries too hard either.

Why We Kill What We Can't Achieve

Dream-killing is a defense mechanism. It protects us from three painful truths:

1. We've settled.
At some point, we stopped believing God could do the impossible through us. We traded the adventure for safety. We downsized our expectations to match our effort.

2. We're afraid.
The cost of a big dream is high. Sacrifice. Risk. Uncertainty. Criticism. If we kill others' dreams, we don't have to face our own fear.

3. We've lost intimacy with God.
Dreams come from time with the Dream Giver. When we drift from Him, the dreams fade. And when someone else's dream reminds us of that distance, we lash out.

Joseph's brothers saw their own emptiness reflected in his vision. They chose murder over repentance.

Don't Kill the Dream, Learn to Live It

Here's the hard truth: If you feel inadequate for the Great Commission, that's actually the starting point for obedience, not the disqualification.

2 Corinthians 3:5 "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God."

God never asked you to be sufficient. He asked you to be available.

You don't have to kill someone else's dream of world evangelism because you feel small. You can repent of your smallness and ask God to stretch you again.

You don't have to tear down the dreamer because you've stopped dreaming. You can ask God to breathe life back into your own vision.

You don't have to sabotage the next generation because your generation didn't finish the job. You can cheer them on and support them as they run further than you did.

What Living the Dream Actually Looks Like

Living the dream doesn't mean you become a famous evangelist. It means you stop killing the mission in your own heart and in the hearts of others.

It means you:

• Pray for the unreached instead of dismissing them as someone else's problem.
• Give sacrificially to support those who are going where you can't.
• Encourage the dreamers, rather than raining on their parade with your cynicism.
• Speak life over the next generation instead of rehearsing all the reasons it won't work.
• Steward your corner of the mission field: whether that's your neighborhood, your workplace, or your family, with Kingdom urgency.

The Great Commission isn't just for missionaries. It's for every believer. And it doesn't require you to be great. It requires you to serve a great God.

Philippians 2:13 "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

He's the one working. You're just the vessel. Stop trying to kill the dream because you don't feel big enough to carry it. Let Him carry it through you.

The Takeaway

Joseph's brothers thought they could kill the dream by killing the dreamer. They were wrong. God raised Joseph up, saved a nation, and fulfilled every word He spoke.

The dream didn't need Joseph's brothers' approval. It needed Joseph's obedience.

The Great Commission doesn't need your perfection. It needs your participation.

Don't kill the dream of world evangelism because you feel like you've failed. Repent. Get back up. Ask God to reignite the fire. And spend the rest of your days cheering on every dreamer who still believes God can do the impossible.

God's not done. The mission isn't over. And He's still looking for people who will carry the dream: no matter the cost.

If you're wrestling with inadequacy, burnout, or the weight of feeling like you've fallen short, I want to invite you to read The Big Leap of Faith: Believing God Loves You Exactly As You Are. You're not disqualified. You're positioned for mercy.

FAQ

What if I really have failed at the Great Commission?

Failure isn't final with God. If you've drifted, repent and ask Him to restore the dream. He's the God of second chances: and third, and fourth. Your past doesn't disqualify you from future obedience.

How can I support world evangelism if I can't go myself?

Pray intentionally for unreached people groups. Give sacrificially to missionaries and mission organizations. Mentor and encourage those preparing to go. Your role in the mission is vital, even if you never board a plane.

Why do I feel so resistant when others talk about big ministry dreams?

Resistance often signals something unresolved in your own heart: fear, guilt, or a fading vision. Ask God to show you what's really behind the pushback, and let Him heal it. Don't let your pain kill someone else's calling.