Proverbs 29:17 “Where there is no vision the people parish.”
What is a “Vision”? How do you become infected with a vision that will spread? Why have one? These and other questions come to mind when growth slows, stops, or worst yet reverses. Prov. 29:17 gives the principal stated as a fact. Many churches today have already perished. They have stopped looking to the future and stopped believing there can be something better from God for their church. They have accepted their place tied up safely along side many other rotting hulks of the past and waiting for the water slowly seeping in to sink them. Day by day they half heartily move about the once proud ship and speak of the her glory in the past, “the good ol’ days”. Sad.
If vision had one defining characteristic it would be solid faith that tomorrow can be better. It pulls up anchor, sets sail once again (or in many cases for the first time), and takes the holders of vision onto the high seas where the wind blows, the currents flow, and yes even at times, the storms rage. But in the end the reward is a cargo hold full of crowns to lay at King Jesus feet. He appointed the ship and it’s crew to undertake this great mission with all authority and placed on them His seal. The dangers of getting underway pale in contrast to the rewards of obedience to the Masters command to go and to be faithful to the mission. Why have vision? Because without it there is no tomorrow; with it tomorrow is not only better it is worth living for!
Wow! So true, you say, and if i could get people here excited maybe we could do something as exciting as you just described… but I can’t do it! Pastor, elder, local church member you are so right! You can’t do it. I tried for many years “to do something” for Jesus. I was sincere, even motivated at times. But my sincerity and motivations were all based in what I could do. What occurred quite regularly was epic failure of Biblical proportions! Then after yet another failure one day the Lord spoke to me, “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” There it was in black and white! How could I have missed it all these years? I wasn’t supposed to build His church…He was! My strength had waned long ago but His is limitless and unbounded for the work set ahead. As a matter of fact He is eternal and has already been in all of my tomorrows knowing what was ahead. I needed to turn over the ships wheel to Him. My vision cleared up almost immediately. He showed me where He was going. Vision had returned. I was no longer enslaved in the failures of yesterday and the fantasy of a better tomorrow that I could not grasp! No! God is in every detail, He is sovereign, He loves us more than we know and has left nothing to chance!
The breakthrough came as I shared this vision with the people God has called me to to lead. No longer do we look for victory; we operate from a position of victory! It is no longer “can we” but “we can trust Him to do it”. We operate from this vision of victory out into our world each day and the ports we visit each day are worth the journey!
Fair winds and following seas to all those who read this. Christ is the supplier of our strength, vision, and love for the world. Sail into today and each day with confidence in His wisdom and leading!
Pastor Mark
