January, 2022...A New Day, A new Year, A New Vision

Vision challenges us to reach beyond ourselves.  It challenges us to live by faith.  With a clear vision of what our future is in Christ, no barrier is too difficult.  Without it, we rarely move beyond our current boundaries.  We get stuck doing the same thing over and over.  Never realizing our full potential.   

This is a new year. We have fresh start. We can become whatever God calls us to be this year, if we will just   surrender to Jesus.  We must look to the future.  What does God have in store for us in this new year?  What does God want our church to look like in one year, two years, five years?   We need a God inspired vision to lead us into 2022.  

God gives us a vision to keep us at the task of the church, to reach people for Jesus.  A God inspired vision will help us stay on target in these five ways:  First, it will motivate us to keep at the work.  Second, it will keep us focused on the main thing.  Third, it will keep us fresh.  Fourth, it will keep us fruitful.  And finally, it will keep us faithful to God.

First, a God inspired vision will keep us motivated for the task ahead.  If we know where we are going we are energized to keep on working.  We will be optimistic about the future.  

It is like a long distance runner, when he is in the middle of a race, he keeps on running but at a steady pace.  Then when he has the end in sight, he sprints to the finish. When we have the end in sight we are motivated to press hard toward the goal.

A clear vision will also keep us focused on the main thing.   In life, there are many distractions.  Many of them are worthy of our attention, however, the distractors are not our main thing.  A clear vision helps keep us from being led astray by the distractions of life.  God gives to each person & each church a clear vision of what He wants them to be.

A clear vision from God will keep us fresh.  When we are pressing toward a goal, there is no looking back.  We will always be covering new territory when we are pressing on toward the goal.

Next a clear vision from the Lord will keep us fruitful, because we understand our purpose.

Finally, a clear vision from God will keep us faithful.  When we know where we are going, we are not as easily led astray.  In life there are numerous things to lead us astray.  When our lives are driven by a God inspired     vision, we keep our eyes on God and it is much easier to remain faithful.

But where does our vision come from?  Our vision comes from the Lord.  His Word, the Holy Bible directs us in His will for our lives.

The purpose of the church is simple.  Be Christ on earth until He comes back.  Jesus has revealed His purpose in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost.”  Our vision is revealed to us by the presence of God inside us.  The purpose, or goal of the vision is that the lost would be saved.

Vision guides our lives.  It motivates and directs our lives and makes us faithful.