Developing Vision For Life

“Developing Vision for Life”

Proverbs 23:7

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As human beings, we all possess an incredible imagination. Here’s a fact I didn’t know. Our eyes take in four (4) million bytes of information every second, and the moment we see it, our imagination processes it, forms a 3D color picture, and puts it into motion.

Our imagination is a very powerful thing. In fact, our entire mental process revolves around it, as we think in pictures. Consider this: when I say, “It was a big black dog,” our brains don’t see the words; rather, our imagination shows an image instead. We are all visually oriented.

As a result, we all have a picture of ourselves, our family, and our future. How we see ourselves usually determines what we become.

In Proverbs 23:7, I am paraphrasing, “As a person thinks within their heart, that is what they become.” (Proverbs 23:7 Paraphrase)

Basically, we become what we think. That is why it is important that we have a right vision of ourselves, of God, and of our relationship with Him. Many people live their lives beneath God’s vision, which is why we need to have God’s vision for our lives.

Therefore, it’s important that we not underestimate the power of an inspired vision.

Here are some people with an inspired vision we might consider.

William Wilberforce, featured in the movie “Amazing Grace,” had a vision of men and women not being sold as chattel, and he brought that vision to the British Parliament in 1789. Despite repeated defeats, the bill to abolish slavery continued to be debated. Wilberforce never gave up on his vision, and four (4) days before his death, Parliament passed the bill abolishing slavery throughout its empire.

Centuries later, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared his dream of a world without prejudice, hatred, or racism. It was a dream where people would no longer be judged by the color of their skin, but rather by the content of their character. That dream still drives our nation to eliminate all such barriers.

And then there’s the Wright brothers’ vision of building a flying machine, or Henry Ford’s dream of building an affordable car for the average working American family. And Bill Gates saw a computer that would be user-friendly.

And don’t forget Walt Disney, who had a vision of a mouse that would build an empire. Disney World Theme Parks had more than 48 million visitors in 2024. But Disney died before its Grand Opening. At the opening, someone said to Mrs. Disney, “Isn’t it a shame that your husband couldn’t live to see this?” And she replied, “He did see it, that’s why it’s here.”

All of these and so many others had an inspired vision whose power changed how we look at the world today.

Unfortunately, life has a way of depleting a person’s zest for accomplishment and vision. Responsibilities and financial pressures combine to overload people physically, emotionally, and spiritually, leaving life more of a grind than an adventure.

But a Holy Spirit-inspired vision creates its own energy and energizes people’s hearts, minds, and bodies in a positive direction. Some have likened vision to a match that sets people’s hearts ablaze, moving them to action.

What are the steps in developing a vision for our lives?

Define God’s Vision

Proverbs tell us that where there is no vision, the people perish.

“Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint” (Proverbs 29:18a NKJV)

I really like the way the New King James translates this verse because it is a more accurate rendering of the Hebrew. The word “vision,” as used by most translators, is better translated as “revelation” or “an oracle from God.” It means a prophetic insight, a God-given revelation. So, this first part might better be translated as “Where there is no God-given revelation.”

But we can’t stop there. The second part of this verse that most translations use is the word “perish.” It means being undisciplined and out of control. This is why I like this version, which says that people without a prophetic revelation from God cast off all restraint. They do whatever they want.

People need a divinely inspired vision, and if such a vision is lacking, they will either make up their own or wander aimlessly, losing what life is all about. How else can we explain the moral demise of our country and of people’s lives? They have no vision, no godly revelation. They haven’t seen the Lord as the prophet Isaiah saw Him, lifted high upon His throne. They haven’t seen Jesus dying on the cross for their sins, and so we have a country that has gone wild.

But what is a vision? There are many definitions of vision. Webster defines it as “a manifestation of the sense of something immaterial” or “the power of imagination.” Jonathan Swift, an Anglo-Irish writer and satirist of the 17thcentury, said, “Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.” (Jonathan Swift)