I am a goal-oriented person. At the beginning of each year I think about what I want to accomplish. Once I have established an objective, I try to visualize what it would look like. This is the best way to keep myself motivated and striving to reach a desired end. If I cannot see it, I might allow the difficulties of day-to-day tasks to overshadow my dreams.
Vision is so very important because it keeps me focused on the future. I can remember as a child hearing people constantly ask, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I would always answer a teacher, lawyer or doctor without really knowing what that meant.
As I grew older, I realized that I was answering in a way that was expected. It wasn’t that I could really see myself in those positions; I just thought those were the things that brought happiness. I later learned that I could not stay motivated for a future that I didn’t believe to be achievable. I cannot live on the dreams of others.
Proverbs 29:18 helps us grasp the importance of vision. It says that without vision the people perish. Jesus was a visionary. He was able to paint a picture of what could happen when people united. Everywhere he went, he inspired the imaginations of people such that they went without food to hear him tell about a God who loved them personally. Jesus once explained a phenomenon called the “Kingdom of God” and said it was like a mustard seed growing so big that it shelters birds in its branches.
What Jesus envisioned was so valuable that he encouraged children to come to it, the poor in spirit to seek it and the rich to be willing to let go of everything they owned to enter into it. What an ability he had to create a vision that could motivate others to join.
Though it may be challenging to stay focused on visionary living, it can be done through visionary praying. My prayer point is to ask God to show us a picture of what we can accomplish with his help. To recognize all that he has accomplished on our behalf. Ask God to help us set goals and persevere toward reaching them. Ask God to help us stay focused and keep a mental picture of our future. Rejoice when we reach an important milestone.
God bless you!
