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VISION TEST

Learning how to see through community

“Where there is no vision, there is no hope.” George Washington Carver

“Bird Box” is a suspense-horror movie that launched on Netflix in 2019 which became a viral hit.  The plot centers around an unseen force that is influencing people to “look at them”.  When people would, the “force” would amplify their worst fears, causing people to hurt themselves and commit suicide.  Others began to wear blindfolds to protect their eyes so they wouldn’t fall under their influence and die.  Just like the survivors in the “Bird Box”, we too must protect our eyes and guard the vision that God has given us.

Throughout the Bible, we have examples of men and women who walked by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).  This Christian term means that we live with a sense of hope for tomorrow despite the circumstances of today.  It’s not living in ignorance.  It’s living with confidence that God will fulfill what He promised to do because of His track record.  This helps us be optimistic verses pessimistic.  We’ve all had “the glass is half empty” attitude before, or we know people who live like that 24/7.  We feel that way when we can’t see another way that will make things better.  When we believe that things will never change, then nothing will because we can’t believe what we can’t or refuse to see.

If believers want to help non-believers to see Christ in a new light, we must have a vision for what that looks like.  The “why” of the Church and every Christian is to help others encounter the love of God as we walk with God.  Our mission is to go throughout life showing others the love of Christ, so that they too may be saved.  What does that look like?  Pastor David Jeremiah explains that in this way, “The only way the corporate Body of Christ will fulfill the mission Christ has given it is for individual Christians to have a vision for fulfilling that mission personally.”  Without vision we cannot fulfill our mission.  When we believe God desires to change the world through us, He will then help us to see how to do it.

And the Lord answered, “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.  For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end – it will not lie.  If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.   Habakkuk 2:2-3 (ESV)

This verse is a popular one regarding personal vision.  Habakkuk was a prophet during a time when the nation of Israel had become extremely corrupt and wicked.  They lost sight of why they should be living for God, who was the reason for all their blessings.  Because of this, God revealed to Habakkuk that He was going to use another wicked nation to punish Israel’s wickedness.  A good parent punishes a child if they have done something wrong in order to teach them and help them.  This is an act of love, though it might cause some temporary pain or discomfort.  Like a loving parent, God is pretty much telling Habakkuk, “This is going to hurt me more than you” but it needed to happen because if left unchecked, the nation would hurt themselves in a far worse way.

Habakkuk didn’t understand the plan, but he soon would understand more about the goodness of His God, for the judgement was only part of the vision.  God promised that later He would restore Israel after they would repent, and then He would punish the other nation because of His faithful love.  Things turned out right in the end because even though God’s people had abandoned Him, He didn’t abandon them.

We can learn a lot about personal vision from Habakkuk’s story.  First, vision must be clear and motivating.  God commanded Habakkuk to write the vision down “plainly” so that when others read it, they will run with it.  Secondly, vision requires patience.  God’s plan was going to take time.  Things were going to get worse before they were going to get better.  Having a vision of God’s love and promise of restoration would help the nation of Israel to endure and “run” with the vision, rather than give up.

Many years later, Jesus would come and give a clear and motivating vision for how His followers were to patiently live.  He declared that a key means by which Christians would fulfill their mission is through relationships.  The testimony of our love for one another would be so strong that it would open the eyes of non-believers to the Truth.  Because we believe that community is so powerful, the Church where I pastor chooses to answer the question, “Where do we want our people to end up?”, with this response, “In loving relationships, connected to Christ and to other Christians.”  Our vision to fulfill the Great Commission is to SEE one’s new life in Jesus Christ influence four key relationships; 1) between themselves and God, 2) their family and close friends, 3) with those inside the church, 4) and with those outside in the community.  Those “relationships” are centered on Christ, causing us to be filled with His love in such a way that it overflows and spills all over those we interact with.  If the love of Christ is not leading you to love others, then you are not doing it right.

I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might.  Ephesians 1:16-20 (ESV)

In the opening part of this letter, the Apostle Paul shares that he hopes to see what God wants to see in us as a result of our faith in Christ.  It’s the same thing I want to see in my life, my family, my church, and in you.  Paul hopes that Christ followers would truly see who God is and what He desires to do for them and through them.  He hopes to see them experiencing and knowing God, knowing the hope of His calling for them, knowing the value that is in each other as believers, and knowing that God’s power is at work within them!

God has given us a mission to fulfill and a vision of how to do it.  If we are to walk by faith and not by sight, how do we then see?  The answer, through community.  When we live in loving communion with Christ and other Christians, we will help others to see how great our God truly is.  Also, we too will grow more the more we know Christ as the source of our lives and others that God has placed in our lives.

In John chapter 17 in Jesus’ prayer before He was to be arrested and crucified, that the #1 thing He wanted to see was unity between believers.  Living connected in community helps us fulfill God’s general mission as Christians, as well as fulfilling God’s specific vision for each of our lives.  God wants to see you raised, restored, renewed, and released into a new life through a relationship with Himself and other believers.  In fact, that life involves God empower you to raise, restore, renew and release others too!   We all have people that God has used to impact our lives.  Imagine you doing for someone what someone did for you.  Imagine you doing for someone what you wish someone had done for you.  Imagine doing for someone what you hope someone does for someone you love and care for.  That isn’t wishful thinking.  It can happen.

When it comes to your personal vision for your life, know that if you can’t see your need for God, then it’s not good enough, meaning it’s not from God.  God-given vision will always lead you to lean on Him which will cause you to consider who other than you would benefit.  For the more we are connected to Christ as the source of our lives and other Christians in our lives the clearer we will all see the Lord working through you and me and God continues to grow His family!

https://medium.com/@pastortito/vision-test-31960075cb05