What's Your Dream?

Our church has been working through a series of sermons on Vision, including God's vision for our lives, and our understanding of that vision. One of the sermons encouraged each of us to write down what we believe God's vision for us, individually, is.

That was a real struggle for me. I mean, I don't have any problem with writing it down. My issue was I didn't dare write down what I hoped was God's vision for me. I really felt more comfortable putting down on paper where I am, right now. After all, that would be easy. It would mean I didn't have to strive for more. I wouldn't have to change. I could live out my vision of God's vision for me.

That's when I took a deep breath, realizing I am not where I want to be in any area of my life. Not in my marriage, my relationship with my kids and grandkids, my relationship with God, and particularly not my writing. I realized I didn't want to just settle.

So I prayed and asked God for His vision for me.

And then I wrote down what I believe He showed me. I followed that up with a Mission Statement, and then with a paragraph I called "Manifestation" – how I will know I have achieved this vision. Check out my web site to see my version at www.livebytheword.com. Feel free to use it as a guide for your own.

Scripture tells us "without a vision the people perish." (Proverbs 29:19) But we are also told to "write the vision plainly .... so others can see ... the vision has an appointed time..." (Habakkuk 2:2-3). So knowing God's plan for our lives is very important.

I encourage you to ask the Lord what He has planned for you. Ask Him what His vision for your life is. You will probably not get a timetable or a hint of when this might come to pass. But God promises us in Habakkuk it may seem slow but it will not be late (verse 3).

Then, write down what He tells you. Make a list of steps to accomplish this vision – your mission. Your ministry. Your calling and anointing. Next, make a short paragraph that combines the vision and the mission into a concise sentence or two.

Post this vision somewhere prominent. Carry it in your wallet. Keep it near your computer, so that every time you get a rejection letter or a manuscript returned, you can see it. God's vision for your life is not determined by the number of rejections, the bad reviews, the overworked-and-underpaid contracts.

God's vision for your life is determined by His complete plan, perfect and good. You've got His word on that – Jeremiah 29:11 "I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."