Between every leader and his or her dream is a gap. The struggle we face is when the gap starts to feel like a permanent detour. That detour often comes in the form of unexpected twists and turns, delays and disappointments.

Columnist Ann Landers once described these detours as the small print of dreams. Detours usually mean we won’t get from Point A to Point B as directly or quickly as we expected. Yet we can trust God for the journey. Despite the size of the detours and the length of the delays, in the end it will be worth it — as long as we keep pursuing the vision God has given us.

So, what exactly are the detours we face when pursuing a God-given dream? Joseph provides us some valuable lessons.

Joseph, the son of Jacob, received two dreams from God when he was 17 years old. While he was excited about his dreams, Joseph’s family had a much different perspective. In fact, Joseph’s jealous brothers hated him. Their hate opened the door to a series of detours Joseph faced in his journey toward the dream. What kind of detours?

In this three-part series, we’ll explore several detours Joseph encountered, and the lessons we can glean as we pursue our own dreams. The first lesson on the list: how to handle the detour of rejection.

Joseph experienced this painful detour from his brothers. “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams” (Genesis 37:19-20).

After throwing Joseph into a cistern, his brothers pulled him out and sold Joseph to some Ishmaelite traders for 20 shekels of silver (Genesis 37:28). His brothers didn’t just reject Joseph’s dream; they rejected him.

Maybe you’ve experienced similar rejection as you’ve pursued a bold new dream. Perhaps a friend, family member, co-worker or leader rained on your dream, leaving you feeling discouraged and dejected.

Rejection will come, but it does not define you — Jesus does.

George Campbell Morgan experienced such rejection in 1888, when he and a group of hopeful young preachers stood before a group of men who had the power to question their call to ministry. At the end of the day, these men posted the name of each candidate on an “accepted” list or a “rejected” list. George was crushed when he didn’t see his name on the “accepted” list.

Discouraged by the news, Morgan sent a telegram to his dad with one word: “Rejected.” A few days later, his very wise father replied with a telegram that read, “Rejected by men, accepted by God.” What was the end result? George Campbell Morgan became a respected evangelist, preacher and author, crossing the Atlantic 54 times to preach the gospel in England and the United States.

Morgan found the courage to keep rejection from defining him or his dream. He rooted his identity not in the rejection of people, but in the acceptance of his Heavenly Father.

Jesus provided the ultimate example of courageous identity. There were times when the crowds cheered Him and times when they jeered Him. Some people shouted, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Others shouted, “Crucify Him!”

But Jesus never established His identity in whether people accepted Him or rejected Him. Jesus’ identity didn’t depend on the number of people who followed Him or said nice things about Him. Instead, Jesus’ identity was grounded in the words the Heavenly Father spoke at His baptism: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).

How did Jesus please His Father? It wasn’t through results; it was through relationship. The Father’s joy wasn’t based on what Jesus had done. Jesus had not yet performed any miracles or preached any sermons to huge crowds. In fact, He had not even started His public ministry.

Jesus’ identity was established in the love of the Father, not in His labor for the Father. And when rejection came His way, Jesus stood the test. Jesus didn’t waiver in His purpose because He didn’t waiver in His identity.

How do you deal with rejection as you’re pursuing the dreams God inspired in you? It begins with your identity. It starts with a clear understanding of who you are in Christ. You are accepted. You are loved. You are a child of God. You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and God has prepared good works in advance for you to do.

Rejection will come, but it does not define you — Jesus does. The Lord loves you, because He is love. If you’re going to stand the test of rejection, you must set the roots of your identity deeply in the words the Heavenly Father speaks over your life.