How big is yours? Mine is huge! You may be relieved to discover that I’m talking about vision. I say this without boasting.
My personal vision is to inspire and equip a generation of young adults to be change agents and bringers of God’s Kingdom on this earth, fuelled by a white-hot faith in King Jesus. What is your vision?
My vision is huge because I remain closely connected to two things.
- The vastness of the world’s need.
- The sovereignty of God.
We live in an imperfect world, full of injustice, pain and emptiness. But we need to remember that we serve a God who is able to do the impossible. He can do anything and he choses us, his people, as his hands and feet in this world. What a dynamic truth to grasp! We don’t simply sit back and watch and God unravels history before us. We listen to him, hear his vision for his Kingdom and build the future with him.
In some respects this is pretty scary. It should be! Steven Furtick, from Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC says, “If your vision isn’t intimidating to you, there is a good chance it is insulting to God.” In order to see God fully operate through us, we need clear perspective on God’s role within our vision. In other words we ought to find ourselves saying, “We need God to make this happen. It can only happen if he does.” Otherwise, our vision will always be limited by our own capacity.
So what is your vision? Is it big enough? Could it only happen in God’s strength? Do you need others to join in order to make it happen? Can I challenge you to assess what you are living for? Perhaps you need to extend and expand your vision. Can you imagine making it happen? If you can, I suggest it is too small.
My friend who is heavily addicted to heroine can be free of addiction. My atheist friend who hates Jesus could be an amazing evangelist for the one true God. The 19,000 students in York who don’t know their maker loves them could know this by the end of this academic year. But I cannot do any of this by myself. It is only possible because the force that created the universe lives inside me and you.
How does that affect your vision?
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)
