Vision for What God is Doing
Now that summer vacation time is officially in full swing, I was reminded that Disney World in Orlando is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The amusement park first opened in 1971. Now that may not be a big deal to you (it's not really a big deal to me either) but I remember the first time I went to Disney World. Back in the summer of 1974, my family and I drove across country to go there. Pretty crazy considering we already had Disneyland right here in our own backyard. But we went because it was a new thing and even though it was only a fraction of the size it is today, there was a lot to see and do. My brother and I had a great time although I'm not so sure about my parents who had to chase us around :). Perhaps you know the story that Disney World and Disneyland were the fulfillment of a vision that Walt Disney had many years earlier. I read recently that not long after Disney World had opened up, Michael Vance, Disney's Creative Director at the time, was asked "Isn't it too bad that Walt Disney did not live to see this?" To which Vance replied "He did see it and that's precisely why we are here today."
Having a vision of something before it actually becomes a reality is one of those things that drives us forward. Isn't it? If you're an artist, you probably have a vision for what you would like your artwork to look like before you create it. In decorating your home, you probably have a picture in your mind of the color, style, and furnishings you want to have. As a parent, you may envision what you would like your kids to be like when they get older, and that guides your parenting. Well there's a similar message in scripture. In Proverbs 29:18, it says "Where there is no vision, the people perish." What Solomon is saying here is that having vision in life is critical to our well-being and progress. Now that doesn't mean that any vision of the future is acceptable. Some of history's greatest visionaries have been driven by sinful selfish motives. What Proverbs is saying is that when there is no understanding of what God wants to do in our lives, we live aimlessly, without a sense of purpose.
A big part of God's revelation to us in His Word is what He wants us to become. It may not be who we are right now but He wants to share with us a vision for what we could be in the future. God wants to give you a greater vision of who He is and the plans He has for you. In Ephesians, the apostle Paul explains the new identity we, as believers, have in Christ. Consider this when you think about God's vision for you:
Ephesians 2:6, 7, 10 "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus...For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works"
Ephesians 2:19, 22 "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household . . . And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit."
Ephesians 4:1, 12, 13 "I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit . . . until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."
This is just a little vision of what God wants for us. We are His handiwork in which He seeks to dwell and move and act. Over time, He works out His plan in our lives and transforms us into the image of His Son. He accomplishes this as we grow in our relationship with Him and cooperate with Him. Having said that, we are all a work in progress. Aren't we? Sometimes it's hard to envision what God is doing because we know our struggles and don't see the change in our lives we hope for. Take heart! Psalm 138:8 says “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” Even greater than Walt Disney's vision for Disney World, God has a vision and purpose for you and me, and if we walk with patience and perseverance, He will accomplish it.
God bless,
Pastor Darren
