Vision

“’What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him’—
these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 2:9-10

This week, each of us bloggers are allowed to write about whatever we want, which is a lot harder than it sounds. But what I’d like to challenge all of you about today is vision; do you have one? When you think about the expanse of your life on earth, do you have a burning desire, a distant hope, or a whole hearted wish for what you will accomplish, experience, or witness? If you do, does that vision for your life flow out of your union with God? If you do not have such a vision, then why? Just as the desires of our heart direct our daily actions, so the vision which we have for our lives affect the choices we make in the present. My goal with this post is to inspire you to pursue, attain and treasure a vision for what you will do with Christ in this life, for His eternal Kingdom.

Let’s start with those of you who have a vision. Perhaps you dream of getting a particular vocation: You may want to be a medical person, a teacher, an artist, a performer, a politician, a business owner, a hair stylist. In these cases, our vision is usually shaped by our personal talents and passions for what we want to do. That is excellent—It’s important to recognize our strengths and to work expectantly toward them. But here is my question: since you are a new creation, born again into the Spirit of God, and now are a warrior, an agent, an ambassador for his Kingdom, how will your gifts and personal performance of them fit into the grand scheme of that spiritual reality? You are an undercover rebel, living on an enemy occupied planet, stirring an uprising whose goal it is to recruit souls in order to save them, and to fight against the tyranny which has its grip on the world until the good and true ruler returns to destroy and rebuild the planet. So how will being a musician, or nurse, or stylist, or teacher, or accountant, or restaurant coordinator, or veterinarian, or lawyer aid in that rebellion? Do you have a vision for the deeds you wish to do, the battles you wish to fight, the treaties you wish to negotiate, the souls you wish to save, the lost you wish to heal? Remember, your giftings are not just physical, they are spiritual. How will the special qualities of your spirit play into your desired role? Has God showed you how he wishes to use you? Has he spoken to you of the plans he has for you? Have you ever asked him?

Maybe your vision is to be married and have a family; well, that can be good—but specifically, what is your vision for that family? All families are different. What do you desire your family to look like? Of course we can’t really predict all the details, but chances are that the desires which God places on your heart now will affect the formation of your family some day. What will set you apart, not just from others in general, but spiritually from a darkened world? To answer this question, you will need to do some self-exploration. What are your gifts and talents? Do you envision your house being a place of hospitality for wanderers? Will you be a family who regularly goes out to serve others? A family who is extremely close relationally? A family who works behind the scenes, as a team, to make things happen? Look around and see all the wonderful families around you. Who do you want to be like? What qualities do you see that you desire to emulate. Ask God to open your eyes to such things, and then when you see them, begin now to make your requests known to God, and seek to develop in yourself the qualities which you desire in a family. That is how vision shapes our lives: it gives us higher goals and desires which can affect our choices and movements now.

Perhaps when you think about your future life, the first thing that came to your mind was spending forever with a certain someone. I would want you to think about this: Lets say that you did end up with this person--which may or may not be realistic or good—but let’s just say, what would you two do? Not simply be together and go on romantic dates all the time, I’m sure. What sort of a life do you imagine together? What roles would you play? Marriage isn’t the end, it’s the beginning of a partnership; so what would you partner in? What do you desire to accomplish in a relationship with your husband someday? Where will you work, fight, and serve together? Again, your personal gifts will have a lot to do with this. Do you feel called to be a healer? A refuge? An accomplisher? A guide? A nurturer? And what kind of a man do you hope to support? Remember, this life is a war—what kind of warrior would you want to be paired up with? What are your strengths and weaknesses? How will you be able to support and assist a man someday? Again, we absolutely cannot predict the details, and God always loves to bring us surprises, but no matter what happens, if God lays desires on your heart—if you allow him to place desires in your heart, to shape the desires in your heart, then your future life will be affected. What I’m not telling you to do is fantasize about all the ways that you can serve God with a man who is not your husband and may never be. What I am suggesting that you do is consider a future that goes beyond the gratification of an immediate, natural desire. Let God shape your heart into what it will be when it is joined to someone else; let him give you a vision for the great adventure that he has planned for you.

So in sum, if you don’t have a grander vision for the purpose of your life, start praying. Visions come in many forms, and are usually vague and unspecific, so don’t feel like you have to have details. But believe for God to plant the seeds of something great in your heart. I trust that you will be surprised by what glories await you.

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7

~Jessica Chamaline