Vision for LIfe - Forward #1

As we begin the third chapter of Vision for Life, it is easy to see that God is not static in His plans for those who follow Him. In fact, God reminds us that people without a vision for moving forward are sadly disillusioned and weak. When we are born-again in the Spirit, Jesus becomes our motivation and the gas for our motor, and the motor is running. Our Vision for Life is all about Jesus, and our identity is found in Him.

We have no “forward” except with Jesus.  It was a very important thing when Jesus sent out His disciples to go and evangelize.  The following verses help to bring all of this into focus and help us understand the intent of the words of Jesus.  Luke 14:23 ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ ²² After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ ²³ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. ²⁴ For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.”  Jesus died for everyone, but everyone needed to hear the message of hope so the Holy Spirit could convict and bring them to a place of decision and surrender.  When we realize our personal call and the vision God has given to each of us, something ignites in us that compels us to follow Jesus, and that compelling force is the Holy Spirit.

More work to be done. There is still more room for those who might come to Jesus for salvation, and He sends us out to compel them to come to Jesus.  Compel (def) - force or oblige (someone) to do something.  He compels us, and then He compels them through us.  We are to go with a holy boldness.  Scripture says we are ambassadors of the gospel. 2 Corinthians 5: ¹⁹ For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. ²⁰ So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” ²¹ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

This is where our personal vision begins, as though Jesus were standing right here in our midst, telling us, as He told His disciples, to take up our cross and follow Him.  There is no other direction but FORWARD!  Look at what moving looks like when looking at it through the eyes of Jesus.  Moving forward has many characteristics, some of which are easier than others.

My Personal Vision for LIfe is set into motion....The first characteristic is Setting God’s vision in my life as my focus.  This involves putting this personal vision into motion through faith.  In Luke 14, Jesus said to consider the cost of following Him, right along with His words telling us to take up our cross and follow Him.  The Cost is worth it every time.

The Bicycle Illustration.  I love riding bicycles, and I have always tried to learn how to successfully ride hills by using momentum to be able to ride those hills successfully.  Gravity comes into play when going up and down a hill. The realization that there will be times I am going against gravity and there will be times I am going with gravity also points to setting your vision in motion.

Up the Hill Against Gravity

You are going against gravity, but do not quit pumping!!  Christians with vision many times find themselves “going against the flow.” That flow can come from the world and from the Christian community.  If you know where God is leading you, and you know it is right, don’t fall away from what He is calling you to do.  But if God gives you a word of wisdom and shows you your direction might need some adjusting, be willing to adjust and keep pride on the back burner.  Time and patience are two things that may need adjusting, and the pedaling up that hill may test your resolve, but keep going, and God will work it all out.

Down The Hill Using Gravity as Your Engine

 Then there are times when you sense things are moving along smoothly. And you notice that God is setting into motion a boost in your faith walk.  That continues to drive your personal vision to new heights. It is very important to give praise to God during those times and continue to seek God for direction and strength.  Never take a vision for granted and always keep current in your Bible Study and Prayer to keep yourself grounded and focused.  Always keep your focus on Jesus, and you will continue to move into a realm that allows you to handle the mountains ahead of you. Let Momentum take you to a supercharged faith and walk where God reveals more and more of Himself to you.

Momentum (def) - the impetus gained by a moving object. You are probably aware that Corrie ten Boom, along with her sister and father, were sent to Ravensbruck, a Nazi concentration camp, for hiding Jews. Her sister and father died there, but Corrie was released, due to a “clerical error.” And the Kingdom of God is better off for it. Corrie ten Boom likened forgiveness to letting go of a bell rope. If you have ever seen a country church with a bell in the steeple, you will remember that to get the bell ringing, you have to tug awhile. Once it has begun to ring, you merely maintain the momentum. As long as you keep pulling, the bell keeps ringing.  Corrie ten Boom says forgiveness is letting go of the rope. It is just that simple, but when you do so, the bell keeps ringing. Momentum is still at work. However, if you keep your hands off the rope, the bell will begin to slow and eventually stop. For Corrie ten Boom, it was the momentum of forgiveness.  For you, it will probably be something different that helps you move from one stage of vision to the next.  Just RING THE BELL!!  If you never commit, the whole thing will never get started, so get going!!

Tomorrow I will write and teach you how to "ring the bell" to get your faith moving forward!!

The Pilgrimage Continues,

David Warren