No Mission Without Vision
As part of our identity, we have a calling. We have desires that lead us to pursue what we want in life. However, we need more than a desire to accomplish what we dream of. Our desired mission requires a vision. I believe God, who called us all on a mission, gives us the vision if we work with Him.
Proverbs 29:18 tells us that without a vision the people will perish, but those that follow God’s law will be happy. This is my paraphrase, and the verse is worded differently depending on which version you read it in. God gives us a vision for the mission He planned for us. Until we are sure of His vision for us, we may pursue our desires incorrectly. I know I did.
I’ve shared parts of my writing journey. I started writing stories at age seven and have at least 80% or more of everything I wrote since I was 13. None of it was a waste, but much of what I attempted never found completion nor led to the results I expected. I learned a lot about my voice and style. However, my vision was pretty muddy and vague. Just saying I wanted to publish a novel did not lead to that happening.
I required a vision statement in order to determine what I should write. It helped me hone what ideas from forty years of writing I should use. In the past decade, opportunities to learn and grow into who I should be as a writer have come when I needed them. One included beta testing a novel writing program that honed my skills. Each step led to free access or having the finances at the right time for the training I required. I found my writing voice and what I should share with the world.
I can sum up my mission as follows. I help Christians learn to overcome the noisy voices of the world and become the person God intended them to be. Once there, we can find the abundant life God promised by pursuing the vision for our mission.
This theme of overcoming and being who God intended us to be runs strongly in my Light Series. The dystopian series I put on Tales of Karnum and Beyond has the theme of recovering a relationship with God and taking on the mission God envisioned. I have been told my fantasy Light Series has helped people understand their relationship with Jesus better.
I have a friend at church who has had visions of a business she would someday run and steps leading to its success. She has had to go through a lot of hard things that should have blocked the mission, but she stuck with God and His vision for her. Sticking it out, she has stepped into an investor opportunity many only dream of. I can’t say what it is until it is a public reality, but she made it through the initial pitch session and is waiting to see if she gets to the next step. The story will be an awesome one. Her mission will succeed with Him leading the way. I can’t wait to see how God pulls this all together for her because it will be a story far more amazing than it already is.
I have my vision and mission for this season of life. I’m enjoying the journey because this is only the beginning of my author career and my purpose. I will have plenty of work to do, plans to test with God to verify they fit the vision, and much more to learn. Like my friend, we can see the future, but we know we must stay in step with God to achieve the mission of the vision.
Every one of us has a vision given by God that will set us on a mission. Some of us may even find ourselves on several missions as one completes and life carries us into a new season. I encourage you to stick with what God is telling you, regardless of what the world is saying. Those visions He gives us will come to fruition at the right time and solidify our mission. Don’t give up or grow impatient.