Clear Vision

It was just before Christmas, and I scheduled the obligatory appointment to see my optometrist. After all, driving to Jacksonville in traffic to visit my son would require the basic ability to discern exit signs before those oh-so-sudden merges--and, truth be told, I had neglected to update my prescription for many years! My eyes had changed but I had learned to live with the dysfunction and squinted to compensate.

When the lenses were placed over my eyes, the difference was shocking because blurry conditions had become my baseline "normal." My vision was supercharged with just a few minor adjustments. Most of us take good vision for granted but this gift is impacted by external conditions such as darkness, fog, fire and rain. So, what IS vision? Simply defined, it is the act or power of seeing. Distortion comes from choosing the wrong lens. Increased pressure can also change the readings and impede vision. The spiritual realm is no different. Chronic stress and anxiety can cause God's perfect plan to appear deformed.

As we face a brand-new year, it is important to go for our annual "vision check". Some people love creating vision boards as concrete encouragement to press ahead towards personal goals. A personal vision honors your unique destiny and a dream that is bigger than you. Some of the necessary steps are accountability, resources, networking and seeking God for open doors. This is not something that you can manufacture. It is the divine fingerprint on your life. Personal vision often intersects with personal strength. Tenacity is the fuel that will propel you towards this dream, in spite of naysayers!

Help others thrive in 2025! Even if you are still fine tuning the personal vision for your own life, there are ongoing needs wherever God has planted you. Other-centered vision is time well spent. There is great wisdom in living an other-centered life because it reaps a compound blessing. This includes volunteering, mentoring, listening and assessing needs in an active way. You can maximize your field of influence but be sure to first invest in your own physical, spiritual, and emotional health to ensure that you have the necessary bandwidth. Helping others to accomplish their goals requires grit, sacrifice and intention.

Be careful who you cast your lot with because the vision will be shared. The collective vision encompasses our family, job, church, neighborhood communities and other like-minded organizations. In rural North America, the "barn raising", was a community-based event where people worked together to build or repair a barn for a neighbor. Each person would bring a unique trade skill that benefited the whole. Strength comes through unity, but everyone must be rowing the boat in the same direction to avoid chaos and strife. You are a piece in the puzzle, working for the greater good with no personal agenda when doing this. A collective vision carries exponential power!

Ultimately, the most important focus must be God's vision. The heart of God for His people can be found in His Word. Vision requires active transfer, and we have been handed the mantle. My father was an amateur photographer who loved to try out various lenses for effect. I learned that a perfect shot could be obscured by a single smudge or improper focus. Sin and distraction short circuit destiny. To fulfill God's vision, lock in on the object of His love and fine tune the focus until the lens mirrors His heart. God's vision is often contrary to our natural inclination, and it can only live and thrive in the atmosphere of total surrender.

Lewiss Carroll once said, "If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there." January is upon us and darkness is approaching--yet we carry the light. We have been enlisted as agents of change. Let's purpose to forge a path towards the passion that God has instilled in our hearts. The eureka moment is when everything aligns, and you are walking with momentum in your purpose! Let's commit to making that happen in 2025.

Habakkuk 2:2-3 (MSG)

2 And then God answered: "Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run.

3 This vision-message is a witness pointing to what's coming. It aches for the coming - it can hardly wait! And it doesn't lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It's on its way. It will come right on time.

*Point to Ponder: When Moses sent out twelve spies to assess the land of Caanan for possible conquest, all of them SAW the very same conditions. However, only two of them had VISION enough to come back with a good report. All of them told the truth, but the lens made all of the difference. Which lens will YOU choose today? Please comment below!