My Vision

Mike and I had an experience the other day that I walked away from saying "Man, I don't want to be like _____." He stopped me and said, "Rachel, you're not! Stop doing that!"

As I pondered over the situation and Mike's response, I realized I have made a bad habit of seeing qualities and character trails that I don't want to own. Not that that is a horrible thing to do, but when it is all I see, it's an exhausting way to live. What bad vision.  Later that same afternoon Mike was reading a leadership book and stopped to read me line from it.

"The person who see the difficulties so clearly that he does not discern the possibilities cannot inspire a vision in others." J. Oswald Sanders

How great is that?! I have discovered that those of us that are "check off the list" kind of people tend to get focused in on our list and sometimes forget the bigger picture.  Kinda that "can't see the forrest for the trees" kind of thing.  Too often I zoom in on a list of "dos" and "donts." What a mess when I do! With out the bigger picture, life becomes a chore and losses passion. I think this is what the scriptures mean in Proverbs where it says "Where there is no vision, people die." We were made by a passionate God in his image to be passionate people.  When life becomes just about our lists and our "dos" and "donts," the vision and the passion die.  It's why the law can't and was never meant to save us.

But when we pull back, zoom out and take a look at the big picture, life returns. Passion arises. The impossible becomes possible and identity and ownership happen.  When we have a vision, a really good vision, think of all that occurs! People are inspired and rally. They run with endurance and fight to the finish.  They die to their own agenda and live to make the dream a reality.  Now imagine all that when Jesus Christ is the vision and no longer a self made list of "yeses" and "nos" is what we are after.

That's a race I can run in. That is something worth giving my life to.  That's a fight I want to finish.

That's so much bigger than my tiny little list!

I am reminded of a hymn I have loved for years because of it's melody.  I am loving it more now for it's lyric:

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.


High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heav'ns Son!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.


Lord Jesus, I want more than just a glimpse of you. I want the wide screen, HD, 3D surround sound experience.  Reveal yourself to me with my eyes wide open. You are inspiring and you draw me to you. May I see you clearly enough to enable me to run with endurance and keep my eyes on the prize...You!  I want to die to myself and live to make you known.  Thank you Jesus that you are bigger, bigger than all I know.  You are my best thought, be my vision, O Ruler of all.