Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish
This is not just an ancient proverb stuffed into an old book, it is a reality of life. A well thought out vision defines where you want to go and what you want to achieve. It is more than just setting some goals and writing them down. It is a clear mental picture of how you will live, how you will accomplish those goals, and what life will be like when you get there.
Think of Martin Luther King, casting his vision of a day when whites and blacks would sit down at the table of humanity together, equal. His passion, his drive were complete evidence of his clarity of vision. His clarity of vision was shared before thousands, and it moved those masses to change this nation for the better.
Having a clear vision provides meaning to the day-to-day challenges and setbacks that make up the rumble and tumble of real life. When times are tough, vision usually is the first casualty. We take our focus off the vision and look at the circumstances around us instead. When you lose sight of the vision, don’t be surprised if you lose most, if not all, sight of your goals. When this happens, you not only fail to accomplish them, you are stuck right back where you started from.
Think back to a race of people who were bound in slavery for generations. Along comes one man, claiming to be a prophet of God, asking for the people to believe in the freedom and promised land given to them. The people believe, especially after marveling at the plagues and curses that come down upon their masters. Countless trials and adversities are faced, and each time that the people moan and complain, losing sight of the vision, they are given another chance. Forty years later, they arrive at the Promised Land. But wait! There are dangerous enemies occupying the land! Again, the people lost sight. It cost them their lives. They were once again forced to wander the desert for forty years until every person who had lost sight of the vision had passed. It was their children who entered the Promised Land.
Vision is important for anyone considering lifestyle design. If you don’t have a defined vision for how you want to live, you won’t accomplish much.