Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
10/27/2021
What does having a Godly Vision mean?
Pastor Mike Moore spoke to the men at Courageous about Nehemiah (Neh 1:7) and the vision that he had to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. We talked about what it means to have a vision? And then interestingly, if we saw ourselves as a visionary and then answer the question of why or why not?
I do believe that certain people have the gift of being able to see what is not easier than others but I think that God calls each of us to know what vision
God has for us and for our family.
Many companies require their employees to list their corporate goals and some even their personal goals. They feel it’s important that you write down your vision for the new year as a template for planning and success.
But I think God’s people are often negligent when laying out their spiritual goals and a godly vision for themselves personally and for their families.
So, what is more important? A worldly vision for retirement or a spiritual vision for eternity? I know that’s not much of a question. But what does it mean when we don’t have a clearly defined spiritual vision personally? I think an answer of being saved and wanting to serve Christ alone is insufficient and pedestrian.
When was the last time we evaluated our focus on God? Or whether we’re regularly in a constant attitude of prayer? Or even knowing what that means? What is my commitment to my local church? How do I practically and regularly serve God? Am I involved in a Bible study or a small group to continue my growth beyond a 30-minute message on Sunday morning? I believe to have a God vision in our life we also must be accountable to someone. It’s like saying were born again but there is no demonstrated proof of it in our lives. It’s like hearing from someone at your place of work saying, “oh, I didn’t know you were a Christian”. We spend more hours at the workplace than we spend at home and for people to not readily know that you’re a Christian is scary indeed.
Nehemiah was able to identify the challenge. A number of very gifted men came before him and failed at the attempt to rebuild that wall.
But Nehemiah turned to God for help to get it done.
We went around the table last night and asked every man to identify the challenges in their life? And the table was unusually silent. And we promised that over this next week that we would spend some time before God drilling down and writing down exactly what our challenges in life are? Our work, our marriages, our relationships with our children, or our extended family, our fears and challenges for preparing for retirement. Whatever they are, we need to list them, know them, and then turn them over to God for his answers and direction. Then pray and prepare a plan and a vision of how God is directing us to succeed in each of them.
We talked about how it’s so much harder to do things like this without having someone to bounce ideas off. Someone who’s been through this before or is going through it right now that we can talk to about this. Someone that we can pray with, dig through God‘s word with to learn more about a Godly vision that we believe God is giving us. God’s direction will never contradict his word.
I believe being a visionary leader requires us to identify the needs of those around us. Yes, that would begin at home, with our spouse and our children. When was the last time we looked at the potential of those that are closest to us and then encouraged them and motivated them to push out past their comfort zone and ask God for help?
Part of our vision as leaders and priests of our household is to perform functionally beyond the obvious. Like being in a relationship with each and every member of our family. To intentionally know what their needs are, what their dreams and visions are personally, and then having the heart and the desire to help them and work with them so they can achieve all that God wants for them. I know we all want to but are we?
Who do you see as a visionary leader? Who inspires you? Who tugs at your heartstrings to do more, or is this natural motivation to step and get involved, and yes and even become accountable for it? Those types of people become like spiritual glue that holds a family or a team
or a company together while moving forward.
Everything is about serving and putting others first and that certainly begins with God. That begins by being vulnerable and walking in humility. God is known for taking what is weak and making us strong. It will be his vision, His strength and his love that will motivate you forward to see the vision God has for you. It begins by having this discussion with someone of a like mind and the intentionality to see it through so you cannot just receive God’s blessing but be a blessing as a leader and visionary for others.
Josh Groban You raise me up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJxrX42WcjQ
