Have you ever met those Christians who have it all together? I'm talking about the ones who seem to always know God's will for their lives and are actively being blessed as they take steps of faith. These people are usually first ones to speak up in group discussions and give timely encouragement. You know who I'm talking about, right?
I see these types of believers and ask myself, 'how do these people even exist and how can I be more like them?' Even as a young pastor, I struggle with understanding God's vision for my own life, let alone for the ministries He has called me to oversee.
In my pursuit to understand God's vision for my life and how He operates, here are a few things I've learned so far.
Understanding God's vision is hard
Understanding God's will for our lives is one of the hardest, and yet most important things we will ever discover. What does God's vision for our lives look like? Why are some people so sure of what God wants for them while I can hardly see what He wants to do this week?
One of my favorite Bible teachers passed on a book to help me know God's vision for me specifically: Visioneering by Andy Stanley. If you haven't picked up this book, you can find it at your nearest Christian bookstore.
In his book, Stanley describes vision to be, 'A God-given focus that requires lifelong obedience.' I like this definition of vision. The only problem is finding out God's specific 'focus' for my own life. This is where the real test is.
As believers in Jesus, we have to surrender our own thoughts and desires for our own lives and hand them over to God. This act of worship requires death on our behalf and total dependency on Jesus to rule over our lives. If, and only when, we do this we are ready to receive God's unadulterated vision for us.
Surrendering our lives to God can be especially hard for us if we don't have a clear vision of who God is—getting to know God intimately is important. Handing over our lives to Jesus isn't just the right thing to do; it's also the most logical thing to do. As you and I deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him, we will understand where God is leading us and will receive His vision for our own lives.
Blinded by distractions
Massive amounts of media and the technology can easily blind us from seeing God's vision for us. Distraction has many names now. Some call it Netflix, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram, while others call it Flappy Bird or NBA 2k16.
If our focus is on these things we will never be able to see or understand God's vision for our lives. In order to receive vision, and take practical steps to accomplish it, we need to unplug from media and get plugged into the Bible. We need to take a break from social media, and break our wills before the Lord in prayer. If we do these things, and give God room to speak to us, He will!
One step at a time
God often leads His people one step at a time. It's not until we step into 'Point A' that 'Point B' will be revealed. For my life, God's vision for me has developed from worship ministry, to community outreach, to pastoral ministry, and now to a combination of all three.
Although it may be frustrating to not know the full picture all at once, God's wisdom is displayed in this. By Him leading us step-by-step it gives us the opportunity to walk by faith and not by sight. We trust God as we walk with Him.
God's vision for me is going to be totally different from His vision for you, but the principles in receiving and understanding God's vision will always be the same. Press on in your relationship with Him, take time away to detox from all the craziness of life in order receive, and see, what God will show you.
Aaron serves in Murrieta, CA and is a pastor at Cross Culture Ministries and is also the director of On The Edge.
Aaron Sabio's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/aaron-sabio.html