Vision means...to persevere

Make sure that the vision is of God
The last thing we want to be doing is chasing an impossible dream that originates in our own minds. So first of all ensure that what we are about to embark on is of the Lord. We can't do what we like and expect God to rubber-stamp it.
John 14:14 'You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it.' We need to interpret that in the light of the rest of Scripture. Which will then read, 'You may ask me for anything in my name, and in accordance with my will, and I will do it.'
Romans 1:1 'Paul called to be an apostle.'
1 Corinthians 1:1 'Paul, called to be an apostle.'
Galatians 1:1 'Paul, sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father.'
Paul wasn't in ministry because he thought it would be a good idea but rather because he was called of the Lord.




Once you are sure it is of God, then stick with it
Sometimes we give up too easily. Just because something is of the Lord it doesn't mean that it always progresses smoothly.
2 Tim 2:3 'Endure hardship with us like a good soldier'
2 Corinthians 11: 23-27. A long list of what Paul has been through. Some would claim that if that happened to someone today then God obviously wasn't blessing them!




Be prepared for opposition
Ironically the opposition is likely to come from within the Kingdom.
Mark 10: 46-52. Story of Bartimaeus. In verse 48 we read 'rebuked and told him to be quiet'. That would no doubt have come from the people around him ie his own kind.
Yet his reaction is recorded as... 'but he shouted all the more.'
This is why we need to know that what we are doing is of the Lord. We don't want to become stubborn people chasing our own visions.

Stewart Bloor

www.sicm.org