CAPTURE A VISION

 

          The first thing Paul and Martha dreamed of doing when they retired was to tour the United States.  When the time came, they bought a motor home with all the options.  Martha was the first to drive on their initial trip out.  After a few hours Martha became tired and Paul took the wheel while she went into the back to rest.  Shortly thereafter Paul became thirsty, turned on the cruise control and got up to get a drink.  Later, at the scene of the accident, Paul explained to the state trooper that he thought cruise control was the same as auto pilot. 

          While this fictional story is meant to be humorous, the fact of the matter is that many in the church today have put their Christian walk on cruise control thinking they can glide along in automatic pilot mode, but in fact, dynamic Christian living (energetic, vigorous, forceful, victorious) results from two essential ingredients: a vision of God's plan for your life, and a daily passion, or zeal for carrying out that plan.

          Do you have a vision of God's plan for your life?  Do you pursue this vision with passion?  With zeal?

          By vision I mean the ability to see the future through the eyes of faith.   The apostle Paul tells us, "we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."  (2 Corinthians 4:18).  We cannot see a vision with our eyes, rather we view it in our minds through the eyes of faith.  Consider the following story of three men working on a large building project.  When asked what they were doing, the first responded, "I’m mixing mortar."  The second answered, "I’m helping to build a stone wall."  The third said, "I’m building a cathedral to the glory of God."  The third man had a vision.  He could see through the eyes of faith.

          Church history tells us of many who had vision.  For example, consider Jesus, Abraham and Annie Christian.  There were many others, but let us look at these.

          On a Sabbath day long ago Jesus was in the synagogue and he stood up to read.  He was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah.  He unrolled it and began to read, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18-19).  This visionary statement proclaimed the mission of the Messiah.  After he finished reading, Jesus rolled up the scroll and proclaimed, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”  That day Jesus began his public ministry and since then the world has not been the same.  Jesus saw his vision through the eyes of faith and his vision became a reality.

          In his prayer to the Father before his suffering and death Jesus said, “ I glorified thee on earth, having accomplished the work which thou gavest me to do" (John 17:4).  He successfully completed everything God ordained for him to do. Through the eyes of faith he was able to envision God’s plan for his life and he pursued it with zeal and passion.  We each need to follow Jesus’ example: to capture a vision of God’s plan for our lives and to carry out that plan with zeal and enthusiasm.  Our goal should be to strive to accomplish the great work God has set forth for us to do, just as Jesus, our great example did.

          In the Old Testament we read of Abraham who also had a vision of God’s plan for his life and we see that he carried it out with zeal and enthusiasm.  This is summarized in the book of Hebrews where it says, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go.  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.  For he looked forward to the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.  By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.   Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore."  (Hebrews 11:8-12).

God gave Abraham a promise as an inheritance that he would become the father of many nations.  Seeing with the eyes of faith he set out with zeal and enthusiasm to receive it.  He left family, friends, and his home forever to capture the vision God had given him.  In the book of Romans, Paul describes this leap of faith where he says, “as it is written, 'I have made you the father of many nation' -- in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.  In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations; as he had been told, 'So shall your descendants be.'" (Romans 4:17-18).  Abraham had the promise of God and was able to see its completion through the eyes of faith.  He gave up all he had to pursue this vision with zeal and enthusiasm. 

          And then there was Annie Christian (any Christian).  Never heard of her you say?   The reason you have never heard of her is that she never took the time capture a vision.  Early on she placed her Christian walk on cruise control in an attempt to glide along in auto pilot.  Proverbs 29:11 warns us that, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”  Annie passed on to the here after with her vision still within her.

Do you have a vision of God's plan for your life?  Are you pursuing your vision with passion?  With zeal?  Or are you like Annie Christian: on cruse control.

          God has a plan for each of his children and it is a plan for our good.  In Jeremiah 29:11 the Lord speaking through the prophet Jeremiah says, “ For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  As we see this plan through our eyes of faith, we are filled with “a future of hope.”  This word is true even when we go through difficult times.  At those times we are required to see this through our eyes of faith.  Our Heavenly Father has been intimately involved in each and every day of our lives ever since our inception, even while we were being formed in our mother’s womb, and yes, ever since includes all of our yesterdays, our todays and our tomorrows.

          God had given each of us talents.  The apostle Paul reminds us that we are to use them for the good of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:4-5).  In the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) Jesus gently reminds us that we re not to hide them away, but to use them for the good of the body and to glorify God.  For to whom much is given, much is required.

          One of our greatest sources from which we can learn about capturing a vision is found in the book of Habakkuk.  In the second chapter of Habakkuk, beginning with the first verse he says, “I will take my stand to watch, and station myself on the tower, and look forth to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.  And the Lord answered me: 'Write the vision; make it plain upon tablets, so he may run who reads it.  For still the vision a waits its time; it hastens to the end -- it will not lie.  If it seem slow, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.'” (Habakkuk 2:1-3).  In this passage the Lord gives us the three-step process for developing a vision. 

          The first step is to “capture the vision” of what God is calling you to do.  This process normally takes place over an extended period of time, and involves the use of the gifts and talents with which God has blessed you.  

The second step is to “write it down.”  To prayerfully plan your vision out and let it become a part of you.  Your plan should include intermediate steps to carry it out.  Do not worry about going astray.  The Holy Spirit will guide you.  In Proverbs 19:21 God promises this when he says, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established.”  It is essential that you involve the Lord in the process.  As you prayerfully record your vision and set your intermediate goals to accomplish it, you need to commit your plan to the Lord if you are to succeed.  Proverbs 16:3 says, “ Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”

          The third step is to wait.  The prophet Hababkuk tells us to wait for our vision to become a reality even if it seems slow.  We need to learn to work in the Lord’s time and not ours.  Psalm 37 says to, "Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will dwell in the land, and enjoy security.  Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act."  While waiting, enjoy the experience.  Make it a time to grow closer to the Lord.  Practice being in his presence and enjoy the time of fellowship.

          Sometimes the length of the wait depends on us.  There may be additional training we need or lessons to learn before our vision can become a reality.  There may be others who will be a part of our vision who have areas in their lives they need to work out.  There may be sin in our lives or theirs, which must be confessed and dealt with. 

          The key is to continue to seek the Lord during this time, to listen to what he is saying, to be patient and he will act.  Always remember that the Lord is more interested in your relationship with him than in anything else. Work at that relationship, the rest will come.

          Do you have a vision of God's plan for your life?  Are you pursuing it with passion?  With zeal?  In the ancient Sanskrit there is a passage called “The Salutation to the Dawn.”  It says, “Yesterday is but a dream and tomorrow is but a vision, but today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and tomorrow a vision of hope.  Look well then to this day.”  My prayer for you is that you will capture the vision God has for your life.  That you will pursue it with zeal and passion.  That as you remember all you yesterdays you will be blessed with dreams of happiness; as you look ahead you will view every tomorrow as a vision of hope and that every today will bring you good success toward making your vision a reality. 

 

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