THE ABC's OF VISION

 We are determined to, “Raising Men and Women of foresight who will positively impact generations.”

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines vision as: 

1. something seen in a dream, trance, or ecstasy; especially: a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation 
2.  the act or power of imagination;  mode of seeing or conceiving; unusual discernment or foresight 
3. the act or power of seeing 
4. Vision implies WIT (‘wit’ is an archaic word meaning ‘to know.’) 

For the purpose of this study, we will describe Vision as an organized system of thought, a picture, with a definite course of direction. 

There was once a man who went on a cruise. He bought his ticket and boarded the ship with great excitement.  To conserve his money, he brought some crackers and cheese on board the cruise ship. Every day he would nibble on his crackers as he watched everybody else partake in delicious delicacies. He wished he could afford the food like everyone else. But he comforted himself in the fact that he had the privilege of being on the ship.

At the end of the cruise, he was confronted by one of the attendants who asked, “Sir, how come you never came to the banquet hall? You did not eat any of the various dishes we served. Is there something wrong with our service?”  The man replied, “Oh no, I could not afford to pay for the food, so I opted to manage the cheese and crackers I brought on board.”  The attendant replied, “Sir, the meals were part of your ticket. You could have eaten all those meals at no additional cost!” 

There wasn’t a lack of supply, but a lack of information.

Principle: Your level of information determines the quality of your journey to your destination.

Driving a Nissan Maxima does not mean your life is maximized! Vision is not just what you have, it is what you SEE! If you can’t see it you can’t have it! 

Those who think about the future are ahead of those who don’t!

Hindsight is 20/20.   Someone said that if your foresight were as good as your hindsight, your world would be out of sight! 

 I am convinced that if everyone really thought about the legacy they would leave behind, perhaps his or her life would be lived quite differently.

Genesis 2:19, KJV 

“And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to SEE what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

“And Adam gave names to ALL cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field….”

The first step to mastering anything is to name it for what it is!

                       Facts about Genesis 2:19-20

1. God created the animals, man gave them their names 
2. God was the first to call and define creation (See Genesis chapter 1).
3. The animals did not lack a category, e.g. cattle, fowl, beast of the field etc., however they lacked names.
4. In a sense God was checking up on Adam’s use of his untapped ability. How would Adam handle this responsibility? Vision requires that you see something.
5. His ability to name the animals did not malfunction 1/2 way through naming them—a testimony to the efficiency with which he was able to operate. 
6. God put a demand on Adam to name the animals. The ability was already there!

INSIGHT: Man is given the ability to call. This ability was always there. God simply put a demand on it.

  Till this day man is still calling.

Principle: Unlike Firestone tires that were recalled man’s ability to CALL has not been recalled!

Man made it and called it: Internet
Man made it and called it: car, computer, house, airplane, telephone, and space rocket.

From the time of Adam till now, man has been making and calling

Provocative truth: Many Christian are not putting a demand on the creative ability that God has given them.

Why? Because many have not located divine secrets as to their God-given destiny. Until you locate secrets, struggling continues!

Why didn’t Adam name the animals before God told him to? The answer is simple, there was no demand placed on him prior to this conference. God had said earlier that he would have dominion and subdue everything that he had made. Still, man had to be told to do it. Remember that all the animals were created before Adam was. So he met them there. 

Simply the law of recognition: What you don’t recognize, you don’t celebrate, what you don’t celebrate you tolerate, what you tolerate  you don’t reward; what you don’t reward exits your life.

Some people have asked me “How do you get to know what your vision is?”

      3 WAYS TO LOCATE YOUR DESTINY 

(1) By Calling:

This is when God unfolds to you what He wants you to do for NOW or for the REST OF YOUR LIFE.

Jeremiah 1:5
 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I APPOINTED you as a prophet to the nations.”

Explanation: Every man or woman called by God is appointed by God, and not by man. It is God who gives the assignment.

Examples: He called (1) Moses (2) Abraham (3) Gideon (4) Peter (5) Paul etc.

YOU DON’T START RUNNING TILL THE PLAN IS DELIVERED TO YOU! 

NOTE:  The delivery of a call to a ministry assignment is absolutely independent of you, but 100% dependent on God. However, fulfilling your assignment depends absolutely on your choice.

(2) By Search:

The Bible highlights those who had their callings revealed to them, but the vast majority of people will not know their destiny by a divine delivered assignment. So what do they do? 

There is a New Testament scripture that gives a guarantee to this perplexing question.

Matthew 7:7-8
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be open.”

Habakkuk 2:1-2
“I will stand upon my my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

“And the Lord ANSWERED ME, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.” 

 For 2 years my brother and I prayed for wisdom, concepts, and ideas. Guess what He delivered to us? Wisdom, concepts, and creative ideas.

TESTIMONY: We received a letter from a lady in England who read our book, Uncovering the Hidden Stranger Within.  She had the book for over a year. And she’d been trusting God for 3 years for  answers to some questions. She read chapter 10:  Courage Is Not An Act!, and she got her answer. She said the funniest thing was that she had that book for a year…

You discover by search and research. If you’ve searched for something you desperately need, you search and then research. Don’t stop at a search, don’t stop at an ‘attempt.’ You stop only after you have discovered what you started out searching for.

POWERFUL: Matthew 25:14-30 highlights 3 men who were given talents. Two of them traded with their talents and the 3rd man hid his. By burying his talent he failed to make a discovery of the inherent gifts he already possessed.

Example: Michael Jordan was not picked to make the team in school. So he worked on himself harder than ever till he made some exciting discoveries. The same is true of Tiger Woods. 

Insights require inquiry. It takes discipline to set yourself in a position to receive! But it is exciting because it channels your energy towards a desired impact.

A. Start by writing down what your gifts are.

B. What are your core values? (you will be amazed at how much you will discover from what you value in your life. Mother Theresa valued the poor. She discovered her passion!)

C. Read healthy books that sharpen your ability to recognize your dominant gifts.

D. Seek the face of God.

 NOTE: There is something you have that someone else needs. But YOU must DISCOVER IT! 

(3) By Pursuit of a natural inclination:

The proof of desire is pursuit!

Psalm 37: 4
“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the DESIRES of thine heart.”

Especially true to academic or professional areas. 
It involves the desire to make an impact in a specific area.

Neurosurgeon Ben Carson has been involved in some of the most risky surgeries known to medical science. He continues to bring joy to families because he pursued something he loves. 

Provocative truth

We cannot say therefore that our lack of progress is the result of waiting on God because He has provided ways for us to fulfill our God-given destiny.

Whether you discover your God-given Vision by: Calling, Search or a Natural inclination, each way is equally effective. Each way when pursued to its desired end will produce a fulfilling life of accomplishment.

Based on book, 

The Vision Guided Life: God’s Strategy for Fulfilling Your Destiny: 

Order: Click here