A very important term when it comes to planning is the word “vision.” Among Christians, vision is used most often in connection with something the Lord has shown a person and how they see the fulfillment of that.
When we are in the first stages of doing something for God there are hopes, dreams, desires, and visions birthed in our hearts. They seem to be so tangible that there is no doubt that they WILL happen. But, time has a way of diminishing our vision and causing us to doubt.
This past October, my wife and I have been serving for 16 years as Pastors of ECC. I remember distinctly the things that the Holy Spirit put within our hearts in the days leading up to our appointment at ECC. We were convinced that God has brought us here, and that there were things He was going to do. It was our vision.
With energy and zeal we launched out. Doing this. Saying that. Trusting. Praying. Hoping. What’s strange is that things didn’t quite go according to plans. Not everyone was as enthusiastic about our ideas. Doubt, enhanced by the lies of Satan, begin to enter our minds…
“Maybe we don’t have what it takes. Maybe this isn’t the right place. Maybe God’s given up on us.”
But it turns out these kind of thoughts are common to people who are attempting to do something great for God. Study people who have seen the vision that God gave them come to pass they will tell you:
“There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.” (Proverbs 19:21)
That fact is that none of us wants to be around a negative person, but all of us are attracted to a person who gives hope. There are some people who exude such great hope that it builds our faith. Peter tells us:
“Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain
the hope you have in you,” (1 Peter 3:15, GNB)
Being ready with this kind of hope is not based on being doctrinally correct, or on what church you go to or how often, nor is it wishful thinking or cheery optimism. Real hope that is produced through the Holy Spirit in you is the type that people can see and sense. It is an unshakable trust in God’s faithfulness and an expectation that He will never leave us or forsake us.
It doesn’t matter how things look, or what people say, are even how we feel. If God has given you a vision, even if it doesn’t happen exactly the way you think, God will bring it to pass.
There are people who God has put in your life because they are looking for hope, and God has chosen you to give it to them. Don’t let negativity, yours or theirs, affect your influence. Push beyond circumstances and what may have been said and/or done. Ask God to give you a new vision of what he can do in the life of that person, and put your trust in Him. Then watch and see how God begins to produce hope in their lives!
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