January 19, 2004

• Several months ago, I wrote about the necessity of having vision.  At the beginning of every year, I always pray that God would give me a vision for the coming year.  Last night, I was reviewing the last two years' and discovered something interesting... the vision that God gives me at the beginning of the year truly gets realized during the course of the year. 

  
  

  Vision 2002:  Living for Jesus. 
  Theme:  Fear God, withhold nothing.  (Gen 22).
  a)  Cherish nothing above the Lord.
  b)  Fear nothing more than the Lord.
  Result:  A year of putting aside all my idols and fears and learning how to love Jesus most and best.
  
  Vision 2003:  Stepping out in Faith
  Theme:  Faith, not fear.
  Josh 1:5, 9; Ps 118:6 and JG Whittier quote ("Nothing before, nothing behind.  The steps of faith fall on the seeming void and find solid rock beneath.")
  Result:  A year of taking radical steps of faith into the unknown.

  
  

  On Jan 1st, I still had no idea what this year's theme would be.  But I prayed that God would give me a vision.  And in the last few days, He has.  You could probably guess it.
  
  Vision 2004:  Following Jesus' Steps
  Theme:  Choose Your Own Adventure (Take Risks in Obedience to Jesus)
  Luke 14:25-33, Luke 9:23, John 12:24  (I'm looking for an adventure!)

  
  

  The basis of each vision comes from this statement that I wrote in 2002:  A life lived out for the Lord Jesus Christ is one of faith, not fear.  It is one of fighting - mostly on one's knees.  It is one of forgetting self and flesh.  It is one of following His steps.

  
  

  I want to challenge you to pray for a vision this year.  Because the reality is that all the composite choices you make throughout a year will take you somewhere - but the question is where?  Will it be somewhere meaningful or meaningless?  Having vision helps you step into the kind of destiny that you long for.

  • 2:39 pm
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