Vision

I have been thinking and praying often about vision recently. Great leaders and people who truly make a difference in their worlds have vision. They may not clearly see all that is coming, and certainly are not able to foresee the future, but they do understand where they are going and what they are going to be about. People are only willing to follow leaders with vision. People without vision can wander aimlessly through life seeking who knows what.

One, I do not feel like I have vision for my life.

What I do know is that I could do many different things and be happy or content. I could spend my life in the oil industry (which I have found to be a mission field in itself) and be fully satisfied and convinced that God placed me there. I could go to seminary and be fully convinced and satisfied that He desire me be a pastor or evangelist of some sort. I could forsake all worldly comforts and go be a missionary in a foreign country and be fully satisfied and convinced that God placed me there. The point that I am trying to make is that I could do a lot of different things, because God has gifted me in this way, but I want to do what God wants me to do.

None of these choices for my life is inherently evil or good in and of itself. I might even argue that God would not get any more glory by me doing any one of these choices over the other ones. He ultimately gets glory from my life by my submission and obedience to His will and desires for my life. I obviously want God to be glorified to the greatest degree possible in my life, but I know that sometimes God uses death to get that glory (see Jim Elliot, Stephen the martyr, John Paton, etc.).

Two, I want to have a vision for my life of what God desires for me.

I know that when God blesses me with a wife one day, I need to have a vision (some would call it a plan) of what God has for us, where He is taking us, and what we are to be about. I know that I need to have a vision of how to raise kids in the admonition and fear of the LORD. I know that I need to have a vision of what my career path is. I know that I need a goal of some sort to work towards or I will wander aimlessly through successive jobs.

Three, I know that God has plans for my life and an overarching mission.

Jeremiah 29:11 (probably the most quoted verse by marginal believers other than Romans 8:28 or John 3:16) lays this out clearly. The overarching mission of my life is to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey God’s Word. (Matthew 28:19-20) This gives me a sense of stability even while I lack vision as to the specifics.

I was talking with a true brother the other day on my journey to Waco (a true Jonathan in my life). He is currently seeking God’s will for his life as well. He is pursuing a young woman and desires that their lives, separately and jointly, give the most glory to God. He is currently weighing his options and wants to choose the one that gives the most glory to God. My words to him were that God would get glory, no matter what the choice was. He was worried about the specifics, but ultimately knew that God desired obedience to His call on their lives. It seemed so easy to say to him that his choice did not matter and ultimately God will get glory because of their obedience, because it was not my life, my emotions, my complications or my decision. However, when it comes to my life, I squander in indecision and lack of vision.

I have another great friend whose mom is very sick right now. My words to her were that our Father knows (Matthew 6) our situations, and He is working them out for our good and sanctification into the image of His Son. (Romans 8:28-39) It is so easy for me to say these things to her, because it is not my mom who is sick or my family who is hurting. I know that these verses are true, but when it comes to hard things in my life, I still squander in indecision and lack of vision.

Sometimes all we need is to take a step back from everything to see what is going on. I think that is why it is easy for me to speak truth into their lives in the midst of their troubles and situations, but hard for me to see the same truths in my own life. This is why we need community around us. I need brothers in my life that will speak truth, rub off the rough edges, call me out when I am in the wrong and love me no matter what happens. I need men that will not be impressed with me, but impressed with what God has done in me, in spite of me. I need people in my life that know Jesus and desire him above all else. I was reminded of this after getting to be around a true brother over the weekend that has been this in my life for the past three years. What a blessing it was!

Let us seek community. Let us seek His vision for our life. Let us seek God, above all else!