Vision

Where there is no vision, the people perish:

Proverbs 29:18

Vision; the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom.

I see in scripture the significance of having vision that directs how we live our lives. With Joseph, it started with a dream. For David, it was being anointed king years before he was crowned. The apostle Paul described it as having a goal: “one thing I do ….reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal... “

Philippians 3:13-14

And Hebrews tells us that Jesus “for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross”.

The challenge is very often we suffer from the Lucy syndrome as conveyed in the Peanuts comic strip:

Charlie Brown holds up his hands before Lucy and says, “these are hands which may someday accomplish great things. These are hands which may someday do marvelous works! They may build mighty bridges, or heal the sick, or hit home runs, or write soul-stirring novels! These are hands which may someday change the course of destiny!"

Lucy, who only sees what’s right before her replies, "They’ve got jelly on them.”

We can become so bogged down in the moment we lose sight of where it is we’re wanting to go. Who it is we want to become. We bounce around from situation to situation our circumstances defining who we are and what we achieve. Helen Keller was once asked, “what could possibly be worse than being born blind?” She replied, “having sight without vision.”

My focus in this is not necessarily about earth-shaking, world-changing deeds. It’s more about the nuts and bolts of life. Being pro-active not just reactive, character-driven rather than situation driven. To do that you have to have a plan, a goal, vision.

Ask yourself what is my vision for;

• My marriage. Then the follow up is what do I need to do to help reach that goal?

• My parenting. Granted it is hard when you’re sleep-deprived and ankle-deep in dirty diapers to see much else but what kind of human being do I want this baby, toddler, pre-teen, teen to be? What do I want for their eternity? Then what do I need to do and who do I need to be to help that to come true?

• Being a disciple of Jesus. Am I being pro-active in growing in my relationship with Him?

Come to think of it these can be world-changing! Your world and the world of those you influence.