Casting vision, is perhaps the most grueling, taxing, heavy, and numbing process known to the human race. The old saying tells us not to fix stuff that isn’t broken, but that isn’t accurate at all. I for one am grateful for the brilliant person that grew tired of cutting down trees with a sharp rock. Drinking water from the palm of my hand is great when I’m when rinsing the toothpaste out of my mouth… but daily? I don’t think so.
I enjoy reading through the Bible and hearing God’s story and His relationship with Israel. It seems that each time the Israelites sat back and accepted things for the way they were… they fell away from God. It’s easy to sit and do things the way they have always been done, but isn’t that the first stage of dying? When we become complacent, fail to continue pressing forward, and cease to cast our vision, we die.
“Where there is no vision, the people perish…” – Proverbs 29:18
So who is looking ahead? Who among us has decided to live in the current moment while looking ahead? Are we searching out new ways to serve our neighbors? Too many of us remain chained to our recliners out of fear that we may lose our comfortable place in life…that was last year… what about this year?
Many complain that looking ahead and getting out of the comfort zone seems to speed up life. I would argue the opposite. Life blurs past us faster and faster when we disengage from casting vision and we stop looking ahead. The mistake we make is to think that “Life” is an all encompassing body of work that defines who we were after we are dead and gone. On the contrary, “life” is what happens with every breath we take. ”Life” is what happens when we engage in nature around us. ”Life” is what happens when we become a part of other people’s struggles and victories.
“Life” is where we find God, and He wants us to engage in every moment with Him so we can live it abundantly.
Each year, we use the first few days of January to reflect on where we’ve been and our hopes for the coming year. We take stock in where we’ve been and make decisions to repeat or forget the actions of the past.
Take a little time to slow down, take inventory, and identify those places in your life where you are still “chopping down trees with a sharp rock.” Identify better tools that will make your effort more productive and enjoyable.
It’s to lean forward, and cast a vision full of ways you can better serve God with your time, talents, and resources. It’s not a request, it’s a requirement. Maybe this is the year you decide to live in such a way that others see God in you… every day.
4 Ways to live into your vision of being more Christ centered:
- How you talk
- How you forgive
- How you serve
- How you worship
About the Author
Greg,
I gave a message this past Sunday withbProv 29:18 as my starting point. My goal was to cast a vision for this new work in our area that we are starting with another family. Your article was reaffirming. Thanks for sharing.
Derek.
Great to hear! We cast vision, and must always remember that we are part of the larger vision. Keeping those lined up is where we find harmony in our pursuits.