As we begin the New Year, it is important to seek the Lord’s vision for our lives. His vision and priorities will help us to stay on track and remain focused on God’s will and His plan for our lives.
Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint;
But he that keepeth the law, happy is he. Proverbs 29:18 (ASV)
We all need God’s vision for our lives. Without vision, we are like a ship with no rudder. We can be easily be tossed to and fro wherever the current flows, and we have no way of evaluating whether we are on the right track or not.
It is estimated that more than one billion people use Google Map each month. Everyone wants to get clear and accurate directions; they don’t want to be wasting time hoping to find a place. Interestingly, people don’t necessarily think about seeking the right direction for their personal lives. They tend to be more passive about how they spend their time and whether it is wasted or not.
If we start the year just hoping for the best without having a plan, we can waste our time, energy, and attention. When it comes to our spiritual journey, we need God’s vision and His roadmap. As believers, the first priority should be our spiritual growth and development. Admittedly, it is not our planning or goal setting that makes spiritual growth possible, but we need to do our part by cooperating with the work of the Holy Spirit and being in tune with Him.
Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. Genesis 17: 3-6
For years, all Abraham and Sara wanted was a child, but God’s vision for them was greater. The Lord saw Abraham as the father of many nations and called him with that title before Isaac came into being. God’s vision for Abraham was not only about blessing Abraham, but it was also about His Kingdom and His purpose on the earth and blessing the world through his lineage.
Similarly, our vision for our lives is generally small and looks similar to what the people around us are doing in their lives. We don’t see ourselves beyond what is possible and practical in life. However, God may have other plans for us that we have not thought about. Some people may have had a vision long time ago, but over time they lost the vision because it didn’t seem possible anymore. Abraham and Sara had that problem too, which caused derailment in their lives.
The above scripture (Proverbs 29:18) tells us that when we people lack vision they cast off restraint. When we don’t have clarity in the direction we are going, we tend to lose our way. It is like driving on the road but not knowing where you are headed. After a while it gets tiring and you just want to pull over. It feels like you are wasting time and energy by going in circles without making any progress.
Furthermore, we tend to have too many opinions about what we want to do with our time. This is especially true about those who are retired. Sometimes other people like to share their opinion about how we should spend our time. It is like having passengers in your car who tell you which direction you should go but no one is sure. That is not how we find God’s path for our lives.
It is simply best to allow the Lord to speak to us about His priorities and let Him lead us. That avoids a lot frustration and confusion. To seek the Lord, we should go back to the basics of our faith. Reading/studying the word of God, prayer, and worship are the basic elements of our walk with the Lord that should be included as a regular part of our lives. Another beneficial step is to seek the Lord and ask Him for one or two scriptures that He desires for us to focus on this year. You may even want to memorize them and hide them in your heart. Furthermore, for those who don’t fast, try incorporating regular fasting in your life in a manner that aligns with your health and lifestyle. These good spiritual habits put us in a good position to hear God and be open to His vision and direction in our lives.
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.