There is no magic in small plans. When you consider the ministry opportunities that exist in your neighborhood, your community and even your own family, you must think of the world. Each opportunity is connected to the other. Anything less than that would not be worthy of Christ nor His will for the life of one of His followers. (Acts 1:8) Our Lord and Savior thinks we’re capable of doing big things. So... why aren’t we able to see our own potential in and through Him?
Fear ran rampant when the economy took its downturn. Everywhere we turned, we encountered bad economic news. The tendency has been to hunker down, play it safe, and think small. Pursuing dreams is something one does only in good economic times.
We need to be wise, not foolish, in the life choices we make. And yet, we must resist the temptation to think that God and His unlimited resources are in some way affected by the mortgage industry, the rising unemployment rate, and the stock market. God is sovereign, all-powerful, and completely capable of supplying us with all we need to do what He calls us to do. Perhaps what we need is a fresh invitation to pursue a God-sized vision for our lives.
What is a “Christian Vision”?
Think of vision for this discussion, as our God-given ability to picture things in our minds that are not yet reality. For example, a couple envisions opening their home to foster children. A medical student visualizes treating patients after completing education to become a doctor. You get the idea. Your dreams and the process of preparation to acquire the needed skills are envisioned in a future reality. A vision is a picture or idea of how God could use your gifts and your life to meet needs and accomplish his purposes. His purpose for all of his followers is no secret and everyone qualifies to participate. (Matthew 28:19-20; James 1:27)
Unlike a purely secular play in ones personal vision of dreams for the future, a Christian vision is inspired directly or indirectly by the call of God to embrace his commands, which is our ultimate work in His purpose. Christian vision is a combination of imaginative seeing that combines the insight of faith, which goes to the core of things below surface reality to the depths of our hearts, and the foresight of faith, which transcends the present with the power of a possible future. There’s the dream... as if co-authored by “you and God”. This combining of the not-yet-combined is the secret of visionary faith.... Dreamers come into their own and stay on course when they follow the calling of Christ.
There is no magic formula, no specialized calling from God other than what He has explained to all of us through his Word. Everyone can dream big dreams, accomplish great things for the Lord... because out of an honest and pure heart, he will empower and equip each one of us by the Holy Spirit to preach salvation in favorable times and bring honor and glory to Him through our faithful steadfastness, obedience and perseverance. In short... keep on keepin’ on!
Unleash the Vision within You!
In the secular world of business, career driven professionals have a vision for their lives and live by a preprogrammed plan that moves them towards achieving their ultimate goal––usually fame, or fortune or financial prosperity or all of these things. In contrast, Christians will often have no compelling vision of what God is calling them to do with the time He has given them on this earth. The business professional is driven by a vision, fraught at best with uncertainty, but driven they are to succeed. Christians who already know the outcome of God’s eternal plan, know the power and resources at their disposal and know how to tap this vast unlimited power, can’t seem to craft a vision consistent with God’s purpose. Many reasons... they may feel stagnant, frustrated, depressed, bored, underutilized and purposeless. So how can you move toward a purposeful life that uses your gifts to make a difference in this world?
The first essential is to risk enlarging your perspective of how God wants to use your life. Allow yourself to envision a “God-sized” response to what you already know and understand about your relationship with Him. Such a response, while certainly in the context of your “personal choice” is one that you cannot accomplish with your own power and resources. A God-sized response, by definition, requires God’s power and resources to succeed. He has chosen to only respond through each one of individually based on our willingness to allow Him to influence our life vision. God has given you gifts and abilities to be used in your family, your neighborhood, your career, your church, your community, and the world at large. He expects you to join Him in arranging to deploy those talents and capabilities to accomplish great things for Him.
The visions that God creates in our hearts and minds are always beyond what we feel is possible. Our first reaction and one that usually sustains our thinking, is the task always appears to be out of reach and beyond our ability. Why do we think that? It’s because the vision is beyond our ability. God-ordained, God-inspired visions are always too big for us to handle. The problem for us... we stop and don’t move ahead because we don’t “trust God” enough to be our source of strength and power in unfolding His vision into Our reality. Don’t be too quick to disagree with that statement. Think about your own life experiences and see if the “trust” factor [in God] is as strong as you think it is or it should be. Your honest assessment on this point will likely disappoint you.
The second essential is to risk taking a few steps in faith to fully discover how God’s vision for your life, the one you and He have crafted together can begin to unfold. Many of us live as though we are waiting for God to send us his vision for our life via fax, e-mail, or some supernatural revelation—spelling out the actions we are to take in step-by-step detail. We also may want this divine message to include an ironclad guarantee that we will be safe from risk, financially secure, and successful in the eyes of all onlookers as we carry out this heavenly plan for our lives. Not, I say not going to happen. God does not work that way with us. Remember that “trust factor”? This lack of trust and fear is why countless visions born in the hearts of Christians never come to reality.
God gives us enough to work with him in faith. God help us to create the mental images, the vision, along with compelling ideas of how our gifts can be used to meet needs in the world. The vision gives us enough direction to step out in obedience and faith, but it doesn’t give all the details or any guarantees about the outcome.
God’s Plan for Your Life... get on with it!
God-sized visions can be of differing dimensions and degrees of visibility. God might call one person to develop a global worldwide evangelism ministry that has an impact on millions; he might call another to start an outreach Bible study in a neighborhood. In one person God might instill a vision that uses innovative ways to collect food in the community and distribute it through local ministries. In another person, the vision God plants may be one of making his church’s food bank more organized, efficient, and effective. You know what God wants... He has clearly spelled out our mission through His admonishments and commands in the New Testament. The specific details of a God-sized vision are not always so easily discerned... that takes trust and faith. You have to start the journey before you will know the details. Know this.... God wants you to trust him and He wants you to do great things for His Kingdom! Really, what more could you ask or hope for in your life?
Most of us will never be called to develop and lead an international organization. Maybe not, but you will never discover how God has created you to be used in this world, until you step out in faith to pursue a God-given dream. But how do you know if your dream is from the Lord?
One test... is that all God-inspired visions of your calling always involve doing the work of God’s kingdom as the ultimate goal. God-inspired visions bring glory to God... not you. God's ultimate plan for your life reaches beyond the visions He's given you for your family, business, ministry, and finances. He has positioned you in your culture as a singular point of light. A beacon in a world that desperately needs to see something divine, something that is clearly not of this world. Until you allow your God-inspired vision to unfold... it is nothing more than "potential" light with potential to reflect the power and glory of the Divine. It’s your choice... your trust... your faith... that makes it happen.
Risk Trusting God
From our human perspective, stepping out in faith to work at a God-given calling feels like a risk beyond our comprehension. From God’s perspective, trusting Him in faith is the only way to live our lives. You will only discover what God has created you to do when you “risk” following Him rather than playing it safe.
God is faithful, and He is creative, often surprising us in how He works in our lives. As workers for God we have to learn to make room for Him—to give God elbow room. How? Keep your life so constant in its contact with God that His surprising power may break out on the right hand and on the left. Trust him... you’ll be the first to know where, when and what He’s doing. Always be in a state of expectancy, and see that you leave room for God to come in as He likes and when He choses.
When the world is in a state of flux, as it is now... remember to trust Scripture instead of the news you read about the state of the world. Remember that you have been designed for a purpose. And, remember that “with God, nothing is impossible” (Luke 1:37). In spite of the economy or your circumstances, you can discover and live your God-given calling, and experience the purposefulness and joy that comes from doing the things you were created to do. God must do the marketing for Nike.... “just do it”!
