The world operates on vision. God's people live by revelation. The world seeks grand and noble purposes and goals to achieve. People dream up the greatest and most satisfying things in which they can invest their lives. Institutions establish goals and objectives and then organize themselves to achieve them. God's people function in a radically different way. Christians arrange their lives based on the revelation of God, regardless of whether it makes sense to them. God does not ask for our opinion about what is best for our future, our family, our church, or our country. He already knows! What God wants is to get the attention of His people and reveal to us what is on His heart and what is His will, for God's ways are not our ways! (Isa. 55:8–9). Whenever people do not base their lives on God's revelation, they “cast off restraint.” That is, they do what is right in their own eyes. They set their goals, arrange their agendas, and then pray for God's blessings. Some Christians are living far outside the will of God, yet they have the audacity to pray and ask God to bless their efforts! The only way for you to know God's will is for Him to reveal it to you. You will never discover it on your own. When you hear from the Father, you have an immediate agenda for your life: obedience. As the writer of Proverbs observed: “Happy is he who keeps the law.” - Blackaby Experiencing God Day by Day
This contrast was a wow moment this morning. Probably in light of this past Sunday's sermon. I have been to many churches and have listened to many go on about their vision for the new year.
I heartily agree with the last sermon that I heard on the subject this last Sunday. God already revealed in His Word what we are to be doing. We don't need a new vision for the year. We need to just understand what God has already said to do then do it.
We don't need to spend extravagant amounts of money and time on buildings when there are those who are the poor and the widows He has mentioned that need cared for. There are families that need mending more than they need other things. God don't need production numbers for worship services, He needs workers in the harvest.
It's really one of the best comparisons that I have ever heard. That the world looks to have visions but the Church looks at God's revelations. Visions are those whereby we create a future to put God's name on. A revelation, God's name is already on and we just need to share and do.
One, we can take credit for it happening, the other only God can take the credit for.
Think about this on a more intimate level. Your idea for your life and God's Plan for you.
I have read stories of people who have it 100 percent accurate. I know because I did it too. I came to Christ, was all excited. Had an inventory of my strengths and weaknesses. Knew what talents I had. Could see where this could go! It was fantastic! Oh how wonderful to see where God was going to take it!
Then 2 days later I was shown how wrong I was. I struggled for several decades trying to prove that point with God. I knew that with my talents and His power, things could happen! Again, disaster struck. It took several more decades to work past the failures of it, to realize the truth. In am HIS workmanship. I am not my own.
It's HIS vision for me. I am placed in His body where HE sees fit to place me. Not where I saw myself as being. Many people are failing miserably at the Christian life because it's their vision for themselves and them not living what Jesus wants of them.
His revelations in the Bible are already set. The Great Commission statement is for everyone. Read all the New Testament letters. They all point to the building up of the body of Christ for one thing. To be the Bride of Christ. But a body has to have each part do its part. A leg is to be a leg. An ear is to be an ear. A white blood cell is to be a white blood cell. When cells do not do what God intended, they call them defective or cancerous. When cells aren't going to do as they should, Doctors remove them for the health of the body.
Those cells are violating the set revelation that God planned out for them to do before they came along.
So I am not saying that I have arrived at a full understanding. I am sharing that I have found what the wrong ways to do this life are. Like the story of Thomas Edison and the light bulb. Someone commented on his several thousand failures at making one. He said no, he found several thousand ways not to make a light bulb and one way that worked.
There is a plan and purpose to our lives. But we need to just do what God puts in front of us to do. It's not about being fancy or glamorous or being looked up to in this world. It's to hear "Well done" in Heaven by Jesus. A well done for doing what He put in front of you to do. No need for visions. No need to remind the one who created you just what all you are capable of. He already knows. I am reminded of Mordecai and his words to Esther. Perhaps you were indeed placed where you are for such a time as this.
Had God used my talents, abilities in this life for His purposes? Have I been living out His plan for me? My dear reader, God has done immeasurably more with me when I stopped trying to do it my way.
We may see the apples on a tree, He sees the trees AND the apples in the seeds not yet in this world. He knows how each life is going to interact and intersect with every other life. He knows that your life is going to be THAT life that is needed by someone else to hear about Christ.
What's God's will? I am pretty sure it's just to live out the Great Commission. Wherever you are, in whatever you do, do it to the glory of God. No need for a vision. If it was necessary then I am sure Jesus would have said more in the Bible about it.
This world isn't going through global warming. The Bible says it's birth pangs. Preparing for the Day of the Lord. He is coming back. The Earth knows it.
Will you be found doing what you are to be doing? I am striving to be.
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