I came across a story last week that reminds me of how life gets out of whack.  Before any of the pilgrims or explorers put down roots on our shores they sought a place of refuge.  The new world offered them such a hope even though the journey would take several thousand miles.  Risk was a given in taking such a trip.  Fear of the unknown could not stall their vision of starting over.  Settlements would be built with local governments established.  All went well for a few years until one of the governing boards decided to start building a road through the forest.  It does make sense that these people would want better ways to travel in their new land.  But rather than being applauded for their work it turns out they were impeached by the local citizens.  The moral of the story is that the same people who had vision to see beyond the ocean now could not see five miles down the road.

Vision is a peculiar thing.  We throw the word around when talking about those who attempt or accomplish important acts in one field of the other.  Very few works on leadership ever leave out chapters on how we view the present or the future.  We tend to refer to those who achieve any level of significance as people of vision.  Church life is not immune from such ideas.  People ask me on occasion what is my vision for a church or mission.  Let me say that how I view things may not be as critical as my vision of God.  Do not get me wrong here.  Vision does matter but it must be connected to our awareness of God and His will.  It does little good for me to possess grand visions if they are not within God's desire.  Just be sure that your view of God matters most in this thing of vision.

Leaders are most often tagged as people of vision.  Maybe this is not because its for a select few but because many people are content to live without it.  What usually happens in church life is the elected leader may have a divine vision but it gets lost among those who see no further than self.  Every single follower of Jesus is a candidate for understanding God's design for their life.  It may well be that it revolves around being a better parent.  Perhaps it will be something you carry into your work.  You may even gain vision for roles within a local congregation.  Did you ever realize that you cannot be serious about scripture and not come away with new vision?  God speaks through His word to let us know the divine will.  You may not have to lead millions of people through a wilderness but you can be sure He has an idea of what He wants of us.

We may not think much on this topic but it does matter.  Fear can keep us from living with this dynamic.  Some are just afraid of what God might do if they capture His view for life.  Vision can be lost when it collides with others who do not share your conviction.  Moses lost out on vision when pride became a dominant factor in his thinking.  Simon Peter went through the pain for rediscovering the divine vision after his failure.  How you live with vision will determine your enthusiasm for God's purpose.  If you miss the vision you will probably also miss out on the purpose. 

Bro. Trey