These next few posts I would like to write about vision. Everyone needs some type of vision of their life. God's word states that God has a plan for our life. I know you have probably heard this statement before but you still have not been captured by God's vision for your life. Yet, I believe that if we can get hold of the vision that God has for our lives it will change the way we live, it will change the way we feel, and it will change everything we do.
So I want you to grasp that God has a unique vision for your life. Andy Stanley in his book Visioneering offers a great definition of a vision for the purpose of our discussion today. He states that a "Vision is a clear mental picture of what could be fueled by the conviction that it should be." That is a pretty powerful statement. Vision is what could be and what should be.
The reality is that God has a vision of what your life can be and when you get a mental image of the way it could be and it should be it will change your life. According to Stanley there are four things that vision will weave into the fabric of your life.
First, vision sparks passion. A clear focused vision allows you to experience the emotions that come with the vision even before it happens. Even the most seemingly insignificant task suddenly becomes exciting when it is attached to the greater vision. Picture in your mind a teenager going out on a date that has a vision of what that date will look like. Perhaps he thinks this will be the first time I will get to hold her hand. Or maybe he thinks this might be the night I get to kiss her. Or maybe tonight is the night I will fall in love. A lot of excitement and emotion goes into that vision and they have not even went out on a date yet. Vision sparks passion.
Second, vision creates motivation. I remember when I was a pastor in Baytown, Texas that a tremendous storm hit the area. There was so much rain that the San Jacinto River began to rise above its banks. People were afraid that they were going to lose their homes, so they formed teams to build dikes made of sand bags. One thing for sure about dike builders, they are a motivated bunch. A vision of preserving your home will give you great motivation.
Show me a person who lacks motivation and I will show you someone who has little or no vision. They might have ideas, but probably not a vision. The reason being is that vision gives motivation to a person's life. Vision is why you finish your training so you can do your job. Vision is why you complete your education so that you can accomplish your job. Vision is what gets you through all the classes, the routines, and the exercises that give you the skills to accomplish the vision. You are motivated by your vision of what could be and what should be.
Third, vision gives direction. Vision sets the ball in motion. Vision sets direction for your life. It also simplifies the decision making process. Anything that moves you toward your vision receives a green light. Anything that moves you away from your vision receives a red light. We start getting serious about the direction we are taking when we see what could be and what should be. Without a vision we have no moral compass. Without that moral compass we will make foolish and even stupid decisions.
Finally, vision provides purpose. Vision is what drives you to get out of bed every morning. You have something to do. Vision makes your life an important link between the current reality and what could be and what should be. Vision connects you to what is and what could be and what should be.
Now I know what you are thinking, "great all I need is another self help blog." You may have read many self help books or heard many motivational speakers and you don't want some pastor giving you advice on how to improve yourself. You are stuck in your situation and no amount of vision is going to get you out of the rut you are already in. Well I am not a self help guru. Half the time I do not even know how to help myself, so I would not pretend that I have any wisdom for you. However, I believe that unlike non believers who can chart their own future, our future has already been charted for us. Because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross we have been bought by him for his good pleasure. He sets our agenda and not us.
The sooner we recognize this fact, the sooner we can get in on God's vision for our lives. Stanley states that honoring God involves discovering his picture of his vision of what our lives could and should be. So stick with me the next few days as we take a journey together and discover a vision. Not just any vision, but the vision that God has designed for us from the beginning. God's Word says that "all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." If all your days are already written down by God, don't you think it might help you to get in step with His vision for your life? I look forward to what God is going to reveal to us in the next few days. I hope even now you are trying to grasp a vision of what could be fueled by the conviction that it should be. Let's look ahead and see what God has planned for us. Hope to see you there!
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