A Vision for Fulfilling Our Mission
“Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, but happy is one who keeps the Law.” – Proverbs 29:18
Read Acts 1:1-11
A Vision for Fulfilling Our Mission
“Where are we going?” “How are we going to get there?” “How will we know when we’ve arrived?” For many companies, these questions are answered by their mission statement. A mission statement expresses why the company exists, what it does, whom it serves, and how it functions.
Some companies take it one step further, adopting a vision statement. It describes the future that the organization and its employees envision and hope to achieve.
Vision is important not only for businesses, but also for individuals and families. You might have formulated a personal mission or purpose statement. This helps in answering questions like, “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” and “What am I to do?” But have you considered creating a vision for who you would like to become – or what you would like to see happening in your family’s future?
King Solomon, often considered to be the wisest man who ever lived, made this observation: “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, but happy is one who keeps the law” (Proverbs 29:18). Another translation is even more sobering: “Where there is no vision, the people perish….” Yet another says, “the people run wild.”
The “vision” Solomon referred to is prophetic vision, a revelation of God and what He expects of His people. Surveying the landscape of contemporary society, it seems clear that in many respects there is no vision. As a consequence, people are perishing, both literally and figuratively. Watching the evening news, it’s also evident that some are “running wild.”
We might say the entire Word of God is a book about the Lord’s vision for His creation. In Genesis 1:27, we read, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Then in the next verse it says, “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number….’” Another translation says the command was to “be fruitful and multiply.”
The context reveals that God’s intent wasn’t for mankind just to populate the earth. He wanted more men, women, and children “in His own image.” That means people that would accurately represent His character, attributes, and values.
Getting back to the question of whether you have considered developing a vision for yourself and your family – where do you see yourself a year from now, or five years from now? Where would you like to see yourself?
The same applies to your family, if you have one. Where would you like to see your wife and your children in the near and not-so-near future?
A vision statement doesn’t have to be complicated or lengthy. But it could help you answer questions such as those listed at the start of this devotional: Where are we going? How are we going to get there? How will we know when we’ve arrived?
Becoming a godly man, a “faithful man” as the apostle Paul describes in 2 Timothy 2:2, doesn’t happen automatically. It takes intentionality and determination. The same holds true concerning our families. What’s your vision for the year ahead? How will you become the kind of husband and father God wants you to be – and how can you nurture and encourage your wife and children to pursue godliness themselves?
There’s no simple, five-step formula for making this happen. But we do need a plan. We do need to set reasonable goals. And we do need to have a vision for what we would like to see the Lord do in our lives. So that one day we can experience the fulfillment of Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”