Discerning Your Life Vision (Part 2): Being vs. Doing
If you have not read Part 1 of Discerning Your Life Vision, make sure to read it here:
Discerning Your Life Vision (Part 1) The Foundation.
As we continue to explore the importance of discerning the vision God has put on our life, it will be valuable to begin breaking down this process into some practical steps.
Normally a person’s vision is going to consist of two main facets. The first component is discovering who you will be. After realizing your identity you can then move on to the second aspect being what you will do.[1] Both features are necessary in order to fulfill the destiny that God has called you toward.
Who Are You Meant TO BE?
Let’s look at the first and most important aspect of your life vision: who you will be. A piece of this involves your spiritual identity and could be considered the vision statement for your spiritual life. It must be deeply rooted in the person and character of Christ and will be very similar for most believers.
This aspect will remain consistent for the entirety of your life. This part is somewhat of a paradox because it involves your identity in Christ, who you already are, and the desire and pursuit of your soul, who you are becoming. These two things are intimately woven together.
Only from an understanding of who you are in Christ will you ever be able to chase the true longing of your heart. It is from your identity that you derive the ability to pursue. Since this is specifically in reference to our life vision (future), I will refer to this area as “who you will be.” Consider the following verses when crafting this aspect of your life vision.
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” ~ Matthew 22:36-40
The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. . . . And I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them. ~ John 17:22, 23, 26
I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. ~ John 15:5
What Are You Meant TO DO?
The second piece of the puzzle is discerning what God has specifically purposed you to do with your life. For some this will involve what seems to be a secular pursuit. But I encourage you not to view it as such. We are to do everything in our life with a wholehearted desire to glorify God. “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Jesus calls men and women to the business world, homemaking, construction, farming, etc. just the same as He calls some to be pastors, evangelists, and missionaries. We know as Christians that everything in our lives is actually a spiritual matter if we choose to glorify God in it.
The main concern in discerning this facet of your life vision is not merely pursuing something that “looks spiritual” but instead remaining faithful in whatever God has called you to do. That is the make-up of the body of Christ and why each member is so vital in the overall success of the church.
See here what Paul has to say regarding each believer’s importance within the church:
For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. ~ 1 Corinthians 12:14-18
We must be careful here to not judge for ourselves whether our calling is significant or not. Every vision the Lord gives to His children is paramount in His own eyes. It is vital in His eternal plan for humanity. Renowned psychiatrist and holocaust survivor Victor Frankl puts it like this:
“Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated, thus, everyone’s task is unique as his specific opportunity to implement it.”[2]
When we shrink back from God’s will because we don’t view it as a worthy endeavor, we harm the body of Christ. Paul expounds on this point by taking different features of a human body and comparing them to how people compare and relate to each other within the church.
And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. (1 Corinthians 12:21-25)
Forfeiting the Popularity Contest
We were not created to be average or mediocre. We have been summoned by God and empowered by His Spirit to step out of the crowd and be counted among the brave. We must refuse to hide among the riskless, mindless, zombielike flock.
We must put on the mind of Christ and expose the world to the supernatural wisdom of the ages—wisdom that stuns the intelligent, silences the critics and transforms our cities and nations. Jesus said that we are to make disciples of all nations and teach them the ways of the Kingdom.[3]
Kris Vallotton’s description of how we are to look and act emphasizes that we will be different from the world around us. This radical way of life may not always be seen as admirable by those around you. There is a caveat to developing a life vision and making practical decisions to live it out.
You must be willing to sacrifice popularity in an attempt to remain focused on your personal calling. You will undoubtedly upset many people by not running with them into vain, time wasting pleasures.
There will be plenty of invitations turned down in order to remain focused on the activities that God has called you to. There is even a good chance you will be seen as overzealous for your faith and for how you spend your time.[4]
Once you begin to experience this, be encouraged, you are on the right path. “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). Intentionally giving preference to the activities God has called you to will surely bring conflict between you and others.
Jesus warned us of this very thing:
“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you” (John 15:18, 19).
It is necessary to remain firm in our desire to serve God alone. We must know where our allegiance lies. I encourage you to stand as Paul did when he declared,
“For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10).
Breaking Down Your Life Vision
As mentioned previously, the first step in effectively using your time is to understand the vision God has given you. After that, the next step is to create goals to accomplish that vision. We must have goals to keep us focused on the necessary steps to fulfilling our mandate in Christ.
You can’t just take on a life-size vision in one day. It takes countless days, months, and years to fulfill your destiny. Having specific goals to complete will provide a sense of accomplishment and help keep you focused on the little things that need to be done in light of your large vision! There are two main categories to consider: long-term goals and short-term goals.[5]
Establishing Meaningful Long-Term Goals
Long-term goals will be a focal point for you in everyday life. These goals give you something to look toward if you ever become discouraged from the everyday battle you will face to use your time with excellence.
It is like playing Monopoly; every time you cross the start line (long-term goal achievement), you are rewarded. As you go through the motions of rolling the dice over and over (short-term goal achievement), you can look forward to that moment of passing go and collecting $200!
Before you ever reach a long-term goal, there are many short-term goals that you will have victory over first. Below I have listed personal long term goals that will lead me toward a fulfilled destiny. My short-term goals to accomplish these larger visions will be much more practical and specific.
They also change depending on which season of my life I am in. As you view these long-term goals, you will likely notice many goals that are similar if not exactly the same for you. Use this list as a match to start the fire on your own list of long-term dreams.
Long-Term Goals List
To have an intimate relationship with God.
To uphold a Godly standard of purity in everything that I do.
To have a close, submissive, loving, honoring, joy filled, trusting, and intimate relationship with my wife. To love my wife as Christ loves the Church.
To be close with my family, not putting my fleshly goals and desires above them.
To have a close relationship with my children: guiding and directing them in a spirit of love, with a passion and fervency to model Christ to them in everything I say and do.
To have many deep and personal friendships with people whom I would give up my life for.
To teach the word of God as one of my primary ministries.
To be a cheerful and generous giver, giving to the point where it actually affects me. Giving out of lack and abundance, having full faith that I will always be provided for by God.
To have an intimate, effective, and fruitful prayer life that expects and sees answers.
To have love at the center of everything I do. To love every individual I come in contact with, with the same love that Christ has for me.
To be a servant to all, putting the needs of others before my own needs. To consider others as more important than myself and be no respecter of persons.
To be a man of the Word, listening for and obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit.
To love the poor, broken, and afflicted. To reach out to those who have been abandoned and forgotten, going to areas that are neglected by the world. To come with the love of God and the salvation of Jesus.
It is impossible for me to adequately describe the immense worth of having a detailed and written out life vision. This vision will aid you in your pursuit of pleasing God in everything that you do. There will be plenty of periods in life where laziness and lethargy will attempt to set in.
It is in these stages where having a life vision can help keep you moving in the right direction and help you to weather the storm of the moment. This is the initial and probably the most important stage of tapping into the power of a focused life!
[1] Mike Bickle, “The Power of a Focused Life.”
[2] Victor e. Frankl, “Victor E. Frankl Quotes,” Brainy Quote (website), accessed January 24, 2016, http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/v/viktor_e_frankl.html#Cjve452B4Y7RGSmu.99/.
[3] Kris Vallotton, School of the Prophets; Advanced Training for Prophetic Ministry, accessed January 24, 2016, https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/41951437-school-of-the-prophets-advanced-training-for-prophetic-ministry/.
[4] Mike Bickle, “The Power of a Focused Life.”
[5] Ibid.
