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

Until He Pleases

Our next "phase" of posts will focus on an aspect of relationships that us girls struggle with a lot...yep you guessed it...B-O-Y-S. How does God expect and want us to relate to these mysterious creatures? Hopefully these next few posts will give you some insight. Don't be scared. Don't be embarrassed. And definitely don't stop reading!

First, I want to look at what scripture says about out relationships with guys. It does after all contain everything we need for life in godliness. I'm so thankful for the biblical teaching we receive through Sovereign Grace on this subject, but I want to draw your attention to a verse that you might not be very familiar with. It's found in the most romantic book of the Bible, which I don't usually encourage young girls to read, however this verse gives us wonderful instruction on guarding our hearts and emotions.

"I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem...that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases." (song of solomon 2:7)

There it is. Black and white. DON'T stir up love until it pleases. How will you know when it pleases? When the Lord allows it to happen.

I'm sure that most of you single girls reading this have the desire to one day get married and have a family. For some of you, you might be perfectly content for that day to come many, many years from now. For others, you wish that day were yesterday. I also wouldn't be surprised if every one of you have a "list" in your head of what you're looking for in a potential husband. Please hear me when I say that the desire to get married is a good one, and pleases the Lord. Your list might be very helpful tool. But a list of qualities you are looking for and a desire in your heart will not prepare you for marriage.

I love this quote by Dave Harvey. "What we believe about God determines the quality of our relationships." So, what you know about God, what you hold fast to, and what truths you stand upon will determine the kind of relationships you have, both now and in the future. The foundation begins now, during your single years. You must cultivate a deep and vast knowledge of who God is and apply those truths to your life right now if you hope to have fruitful and God-glorifying marriage one day.

Another point I wish to make is this. Being in a courtship, engagement, or marriage should not be your definition of contentment. It is not a destination. We don't arrive at it when we become a certain age, achieve a certain goal, marry the "perfect" guy, or look a certain way. Contentment is a state of gratefulness before God. Being grateful and content with the season of life that God has you in is essential to your growth in godliness. If your satisfaction is not rooted in Christ, then nothing, not even finally getting married, will be able to fill that void in your heart.

Relationships with guys are complicated. They are hard. How do you NOT flirt with them but still be friends with them? How do you guard your heart when you are attracted to a particular guy? How do you prepare for courtship, engagement, and marriage when it seems like no guy is in the picture? These are all questions that I myself have asked before. And I'm still learning how to biblically answer some of them!

Trust me on this. There are few things that will be more rewarding than being able to give yourself to your husband one day in absolute purity. This is what God desires for us girls. Absolute surrender to Him during our single years, absolute obedience to his instructions, and absolute trust in Him to give us the desires of our hearts in His perfect timing. Listen, wanting to be in a relationship and wanting to get married is not a sinful desire. However, wanting to "skip ahead" to that season before God brings it to you will not serve you. Josh Harris says, "The right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing. We don't need to shop for what we can't afford."

God has graciously allowed me to be in a courting relationship over the past 6 months. What an incredible, fun, difficult, and very revealing season it has been so far! I was definitely one of girls that had a "list", many daydreams about what it would be like to have a guy pursuing me, and lots of ideas of what it would look like. God has in his mercy changed a lot of my ideas, and that's ok! Listen to Elisabeth Elliot's wise words, "The will of God is always different from what we expect, always bigger, and ultimately more glorious than our wildest imaginings." She's right! No matter what picture we have painted in our head, God's will and His plans are always better than what we could have imagined. Please trust me and heed my encouragement girls. Prepare your hearts now, so that when and if the Lord brings you into a courtship, you are surrendered to his will and his purposes. It will not and does not happen overnight, and certainly won't "snap into place" when you get married.

Take the time now to guard your purity. Treasure it, cherish it, for it is a precious gift from the Lord and he WILL honor your resolve to guard it. Most of all, He will help you in the process! Avoid situations that could compromise your body or mind. Pursue the lover of your SOUL...Jesus Christ, for no other love, not even the love of your husband, will compare to that. Don't trust yourself. Even if you think the struggle is small and that you can handle it on your own...I've been there, I've done that, and that is exactly what Satan looks for. Confess sin to your mom, tell her about your struggles. Believe it or not, she was once exactly where you are now! Realize that daydreaming about marriage often make you forget what a drastic course of action it really is. It is not intended for anyone who is not prepared, indeed eager, to surrender his own will and to be wholeheartedly submissive to the will of another. Is that what you're daydreaming about? I didn't think so. Time for a perspective check!

It might help you to realize that you are already a bride...your groom is already preparing to come for you. Christ WILL return one day for the church, and if you are a believer in Jesus, then he will be returning for you. What glorious news! May he return quickly! But God has given you such a gift right now, and that is time. Time to meditate extensively on his word, time to pray about your future, time to serve in your home and in others homes, time to grow in your knowledge of Him. Use this time wisely, and the Lord will reward you. See your boundary lines as pleasant as Psalm 16 instructs us to do. The Lord is your portion forever, and his will for your life is perfect. Trust Him and allow Him to awaken love when He pleases.

Have a blessed weekend from the Taking Flight Team!

~Julie