What’s Your Vision for the Near and Distant Future?

How’s your vision? I’m not referring to the kind that’s evaluated by an optometrist or an eye chart. What I’m referring to is the vision you have for the coming days – in your marriage, your family, your career, your finances, even for your spiritual life. 

Someone might respond, “No one knows what the future holds.” We often hear that and it’s true. But it’s also true that, as an adage reminds us, if you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.

 

“Where are we going?” “How are we going to get there?” “How will we know when we’ve arrived?” For many companies, these questions are answered by their mission statement. This statement expresses why the company exists, what it does, whom it serves, and how it functions.

 

But some companies take it one step further, adopting a vision statement. It describes the future that the organization and its employees envision and hope to achieve. I’ve had the privilege of writing books about three companies like this. Their leaders are very much aware of the day-to-day, but also have an eye toward the future in terms of growth and impact on the people they serve.

 

Vision is important not only for businesses, but also for individuals and families. I know of some people who have formulated a personal mission or purpose statement. This helps in answering questions like, “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” and “What am I to do?” But creating a vision does even more. It helps in defining things like who you would like to become, what you would like to see happening in your family’s future, and the kind of legacy you would like to leave.

 

King Solomon, considered by some the wisest man who ever lived, made this observation: “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, but happy is one who keeps the law” (Proverbs 29:18). Another translation is even more sobering: “Where there is no vision, the people perish….” Yet another version says, “…the people run wild.”

 

The “vision” Solomon referred to is prophetic vision, a revelation of God and what He expects of His people. Surveying the landscape of contemporary society, it seems clear that in many respects there’s no vision. As a consequence, people are perishing, both literally and figuratively. Watching the evening news, it’s also evident that some are “running wild.”

 

We might say the entire Word of God is about the Lord’s vision for His creation. In Genesis 1:27, we read, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He creation him; male and female He created them.” Then in the next verse it says, “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number….’” Another translation says the command was to “be fruitful and multiply.”

 

The context makes clear that God’s intent wasn’t for mankind just to populate the earth. He wanted more men, women and children “in His own image.” That means people that would accurately represent His character, attributes and values.

 

Getting back to the question of whether you have considered developing a vision for yourself and your family – where do you see yourself and them a year from now, or five years from now?What would you like to see – in both the near and not-so-near future?

 

Having a personal vision doesn’t have to be complicated. But it could help you answer questions such as those listed earlier in this post: Where are we going? How are we going to get there? How will we know when we’ve arrived?

 

Becoming a godly individual, what the apostle Paul described as a “faithful man” in 2 Timothy 2:2, doesn’t happen automatically. It takes intentionality and determination. There’s no simple, five-step formula for making this happen. But it does help to have a plan. 

 

We can set reasonable goals – what would we like to accomplish, and how to go about doing it. And we should have a vision for what we would like to see the Lord do in our lives, so that one day we can experience the fulfillment of Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

 

It’s true that we don’t know what the future holds, but as followers of Christ we know the One who holds the future. As Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch author and World War II concentration camp survivor wrote, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

 

Jesus taught His followers, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19-20). That’s having a vision for the future.

 

The life we experience on earth, in the light of eternity, is what the Scriptures term “just a vapor.” But eternity, as a grade-school youngster observed, is “a really long time.” What’s your vision for the impact your life can have for eternity?

What’s Your Mission?

Are you on a mission? If so, what is it?

“He (or she) is on a mission.” How often have we heard someone described that way? We use this phrase in a variety of ways – a person determined to achieve a goal; an athlete striving for victory, or someone seeking to further a cherished agenda. An interesting word, “mission.”

Decades ago, when NASA and the American space program were making news almost daily, we often heard about “mission control,” as well as various space missions, whether orbiting the earth or going to the moon. Today people talk about taking a mission trip to a foreign land. Members of one religious sect devote a couple of years to a “mission,” setting aside education and careers during that period. Businesses of all sizes draft mission statements that express their reason for existence, along with the how’s and why’s of what they do.

Like this sandpiper on a Florida beach, the waves of
life can toss us about if we're not firmly grounded.

But have you ever viewed your own life as being on a mission – or even took the time to define what your mission is? Years ago I was at a conference where the discussion turned to developing a personal mission statement. “What is your purpose?” some asked. “What do you think is God’s reason for you being here?”

Deep questions for many of us. Until then, the idea of having a personal “mission” had never crossed my mind. Like many people, being married, having children, and pursuing a career were sufficient rationale for who I was and what I did. But having an articulated personal mission statement, I learned, could help provide focus for my life, in both the big picture and smaller details. It also can provide clarification when making key decisions.

So I set about crafting such a declaration. Actually, someone helped me when he read a verse from the Amplified Version of the Bible. The passage, Philippians 3:10, was an elaboration on what the apostle Paul had written. The portion that impressed me the most stated:

“For my determined purpose is that I may know Him (Jesus Christ) – that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly.”

As I pondered these words, it occurred to me that “knowing Christ” meant more than an intellectual exercise. Becoming “more deeply and intimately acquainted” involved more than just perceiving the character of who Jesus was – and is. It meant desiring and allowing that relationship to express itself through my life in every way possible. So as the passage stated, my “determined purpose” – my mission – meant becoming so closely identified with Him that it couldn’t help but be evident to others.

Then I came across another passage that more sharply defined how this personal mission statement would be manifested in my life vocationally: “My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer” (Psalm 45:1).

Since then it’s been my intent to communicate through writing, in as many ways as possible, what I understand as God’s truth, hoping to help others discover how to relate it to their own lives.

Of course, just as the mission of one company is different from that of another, even within the same industry, a personal mission statement should be unique for each of us. The question is, what is your mission. Have you ever thought about it?

Is it necessary to have a formalized expression of one’s personal mission? No. I’d venture to say for many people the idea has never occurred to them. Most of us go from one day to the next, acting upon opportunities, responding to challenges, and tackling everyday tasks without much thought about how they all fit into the grand scheme of our lives.

But taking the time to assess one’s life, in terms of passion, gifts and abilities, as well as trying to discern a sense of calling, certainly can’t hurt. As with a business, it could help in determining questions such as: Where am I going? How am I going to get there? And, how will I know when I’ve arrived? And the best way to answer those questions is to seek wisdom from God.

The alternative, too often, is to be like the description the apostle James put forth: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God…. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind” (James 1:5-6).

I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not let my life be blown and tossed about by life’s circumstances, one day waking up and asking, “How in the world did I get here?”

Life: On Purpose – or Accidental?

There’s a movie I have never seen, “The Accidental Tourist,” based on a novel I have never read. But the title intrigues me – is it about someone that took a wrong turn and wound up merged into a tour group? In 2008 a film was released called, “The Accidental Husband.” I think its sequel was called, “The Intentional Divorce.” There’s even a wine distillery called The Accidental Wine Company. Oops, we must have left the grape juice out too long!

It just seems so much in life goes on that’s accidental – and I’m not referring to fender-benders. Too many of us float through life, like waves “blown and tossed by the wind” as James 1:6 describes it. Some of us stumble through careers as aimlessly as flipping through TV channels with the remote. We connect and disconnect relationships haphazardly. “Life happens,” the bumper sticker informs us.

Maybe that’s one explanation for Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose-Driven Life, being so well-received. Deep down we sense the need for purpose – a cause for simply being. Why am I here? What’s my purpose? Answer those questions, set sail accordingly, and you’ll find fulfillment.

Years ago I was challenged to formulate a personal “purpose statement,” an expression of what I should be about. That seemed an excellent idea. It would be good to have a purpose – a life target to aim for.

I didn’t have to go to great lengths of articulate my purpose. Someone had already done it for me. In the first part of Philippians 3:10 in the Amplified Translation of the Bible, the apostle Paul states, “For my determined purpose is that I may know Him – that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him; perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly.”

When I read that, I simply thought, “That’s it. If that was good enough for Paul, it’s good enough for me.”

In the years since, that purpose statement has served well. In one way or another (albeit not perfectly) everything I do – writing and editing, photography, mentoring, being husband, dad and grandfather – flows out of that declaration.

Some things in my life are accidental, often in a good way, but I’d like to think an underlying purpose serves to guide my daily activities and interactions.

Do you know your purpose?

Why Are We Here?

It has been my privilege to consult with two companies that have well-thought-out, clearly stated mission statements. These written documents answer two questions for them: Why are we here? What do we do?

As individuals, it’s important that we can also answer those same questions. Last week I was discussing this with several professional people. Some of them admitted that, caught up in the frenetic pace of the typical workday, they rarely pause to consider, “Why am I here?” or “What am I doing?”

For followers of Jesus, however, the Bible directly provides us with the answers for both questions. We know from the Scriptures that we cannot earn God’s acceptance. His grace – or unmerited favor – comes to us as a gift. But that does not mean what we do is not important. In fact, work is a big part of why we are here.

Ephesians 2:10 states, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” And after we read that the Word of God “is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” 2 Timothy 3:17 tells us, “so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

From the beginning, as recounted in the opening chapter of Genesis, God’s plan was for humankind to perform work on earth, to “fill the earth and subdue it” – which theologians describe as “the cultural mandate.”

Each day, whether we sit at a computer, build cabinets, practice medicine, teach a class, run a company, or perform countless other tasks, God is calling us to good works, performing them in ways that honor Him and serve others. Not to earn His love and favor, but because we have His love and favor.