GUARD YOUR VISION
JANUARY 2013
by Lisa Maki
Each of us has a mission to accomplish here on earth. This mission is to fulfill the vision that God has given us. The discovery of this vision starts when a person gets connected to the Author of this vision, the One who created us, our God, our Yahweh.
There is no person on this planet who doesn’t have a vision. If she has never discovered it, it is not because of the lack of the vision but that she has never even sought for it. So if you still haven’t discovered your vision, seek God for it and He will show you.
For those who have discovered their vision and are now working towards the fulfillment of that vision, remember that it is your responsibility to guard that vision. God gave it to you and not to anyone else.
When God created Adam, He gave him the vision of taking dominion over the entire creation, except for man, of course. With this vision came the responsibility of tending the garden and protecting it. He even gave him a help-meet, Eve, as accountability partner. Yet, what happened to that vision? Adam didn’t do his part in guarding it. He didn’t even see that there was already an intruder. That intruder was a thief who stole that vision from Adam.
Revelations 3:11 says: Hold fast what you have, so that no one may rob you and deprive you of your crown.
Although this Scripture is talking about holding on to the Word of God until the end, God gave this Word to me as a personal revelation when He gave me my vision. He told me to hold fast to the vision that He has given me so that no one may rob me of my crown, my prize.
In 1 Corinthians 9:24-25, Paul said: Do you know that in a race all runners run but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way to get the prize…We compete in the game to get a crown that will last forever.
We are in a race and this race is about fulfilling the vision that God has given us.
How do you guard your vision?
Be careful who you share it with.
Your vision was entrusted to you by God and not to someone else. It is for this reason why not everybody will understand it the way you do. In fact, only those who God connected to your vision will understand your vision.
Isaiah 46:10 says that God declares the end from the beginning. This means that when He gives you a vision, He shows you the big picture, the end result. There is no point discussing this vision to others because they don’t see it and will never see it until it starts unfolding. You see, there is a timing to everything. When you share your vision to others before it is time, it pre-empts what God is trying to do.
Use your discernment the way Nehemiah did. He involved only a few people in the initial phase and did his investigation first (Nehemiah 2:12-16).
Don’t pass on the responsibility to someone else.
God gave you your vision because it is for you. So don’t make the mistake of entrusting it to someone else, unless that person is your spouse or child, and unless you are already leaving this earth or not physically or mentally capable of fulfilling that vision.
Take authority over that vision.
Visions can be exciting but it can also be overwhelming. It gets more overwhelming as we move forward towards fulfilling it and everything that happens does not seem to align to the vision. Don’t get discouraged when this happens. Instead, take dominion over that vision and speak over it. Recall, or better yet, read aloud your vision/mission statement over and over again. This is why having a written vision/mission statement is very important. Faith is speaking those things that are not as though they were (Romans 4:17).
Keep your focus.
It is easy to get distracted from your vision. All you need is people telling you to join their cause or people telling you that the Holy Spirit told them to tell you something. You have to keep in mind and heart, at all times, the vision that God has given you. Everything else you should do should be geared towards the fulfillment of that vision. Don’t let others tell you what you should do. The Holy Spirit will never tell them to tell you something without confirming it to you. Keep your gaze on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2).
Don‘t let it run dry.
As I’ve said earlier, visions can be overwhelming and even discouraging. You have to keep it fresh at all times so it doesn’t get stale. It is like being married for years. It can get pretty boring if you don’t rekindle the flames regularly. Every now and then, go back to the time when God gave you your vision and compare it to where you are now. Keep thinking of new ideas to hype your vision … a new poem, a new song, a new project, a new book, a new connection.
The very essence of guarding your vision is to ensure its fulfillment. This is why God placed you here on earth. When you finally see Him face to face, you want Him to tell you … “well done, my faithful servant”. And you want to be able to say: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith“ (2 Timothy 4:7).
There is no person on this planet who doesn’t have a vision. If she has never discovered it, it is not because of the lack of the vision but that she has never even sought for it. So if you still haven’t discovered your vision, seek God for it and He will show you.
For those who have discovered their vision and are now working towards the fulfillment of that vision, remember that it is your responsibility to guard that vision. God gave it to you and not to anyone else.
When God created Adam, He gave him the vision of taking dominion over the entire creation, except for man, of course. With this vision came the responsibility of tending the garden and protecting it. He even gave him a help-meet, Eve, as accountability partner. Yet, what happened to that vision? Adam didn’t do his part in guarding it. He didn’t even see that there was already an intruder. That intruder was a thief who stole that vision from Adam.
Revelations 3:11 says: Hold fast what you have, so that no one may rob you and deprive you of your crown.
Although this Scripture is talking about holding on to the Word of God until the end, God gave this Word to me as a personal revelation when He gave me my vision. He told me to hold fast to the vision that He has given me so that no one may rob me of my crown, my prize.
In 1 Corinthians 9:24-25, Paul said: Do you know that in a race all runners run but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way to get the prize…We compete in the game to get a crown that will last forever.
We are in a race and this race is about fulfilling the vision that God has given us.
How do you guard your vision?
Be careful who you share it with.
Your vision was entrusted to you by God and not to someone else. It is for this reason why not everybody will understand it the way you do. In fact, only those who God connected to your vision will understand your vision.
Isaiah 46:10 says that God declares the end from the beginning. This means that when He gives you a vision, He shows you the big picture, the end result. There is no point discussing this vision to others because they don’t see it and will never see it until it starts unfolding. You see, there is a timing to everything. When you share your vision to others before it is time, it pre-empts what God is trying to do.
Use your discernment the way Nehemiah did. He involved only a few people in the initial phase and did his investigation first (Nehemiah 2:12-16).
Don’t pass on the responsibility to someone else.
God gave you your vision because it is for you. So don’t make the mistake of entrusting it to someone else, unless that person is your spouse or child, and unless you are already leaving this earth or not physically or mentally capable of fulfilling that vision.
Take authority over that vision.
Visions can be exciting but it can also be overwhelming. It gets more overwhelming as we move forward towards fulfilling it and everything that happens does not seem to align to the vision. Don’t get discouraged when this happens. Instead, take dominion over that vision and speak over it. Recall, or better yet, read aloud your vision/mission statement over and over again. This is why having a written vision/mission statement is very important. Faith is speaking those things that are not as though they were (Romans 4:17).
Keep your focus.
It is easy to get distracted from your vision. All you need is people telling you to join their cause or people telling you that the Holy Spirit told them to tell you something. You have to keep in mind and heart, at all times, the vision that God has given you. Everything else you should do should be geared towards the fulfillment of that vision. Don’t let others tell you what you should do. The Holy Spirit will never tell them to tell you something without confirming it to you. Keep your gaze on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2).
Don‘t let it run dry.
As I’ve said earlier, visions can be overwhelming and even discouraging. You have to keep it fresh at all times so it doesn’t get stale. It is like being married for years. It can get pretty boring if you don’t rekindle the flames regularly. Every now and then, go back to the time when God gave you your vision and compare it to where you are now. Keep thinking of new ideas to hype your vision … a new poem, a new song, a new project, a new book, a new connection.
The very essence of guarding your vision is to ensure its fulfillment. This is why God placed you here on earth. When you finally see Him face to face, you want Him to tell you … “well done, my faithful servant”. And you want to be able to say: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith“ (2 Timothy 4:7).
Lisa Maki is a Professional Development Coach. Please visit her website at ...
www.lisamakiconsulting.com/
www.lisamakiconsulting.com/
