Vision For The New Year

How do you plan to fulfill your new year?

What is your vision?

What your vision needs is Godly focus'.

That calls for waiting on God until He reveals His plans for you. Dedicating your time and energy to it, which calls for patience and discipline. Knowing how to overcome obstacles, which calls for good management. For where there is no vision, the people perish, Proverbs (29:18).

We all need to have a dream. But are you going to make it come true?
A vision gives you direction, motivation, creativity and resilience. Without one you become passive, aimless, bored, and vulnerable to quitting. God can give you a vision instantly but its fulfilment will require a lifetime of learning, practicing and managing life's daily challenges.

Visions come with obstacles and opportunities! When you ask God for a vision, you're likely to be placed in a field of opportunities concealed under hectares of obstacles; a place of possibilities hidden beneath piles of problems. Then He will stand back and watch how you engage in the ministry of obstacle management.

Obstacles can't steal your dreams without your permission. Never ever give in-never except to conviction of honor and good sense! Obstacles are inevitable; quitting is optional! When you walk in faith and refuse to quit, God guarantees your obstacles won't prevent your vision from being fulfilled. Habakkuk (2:3).
Between your dream and it's fulfilment you'll be tested.

You'll face: The faith test where you'll need to maintain it in a hostile environment and believe in a dream nobody else does. You may not have a 'dreamer's support network cheering you on, you may have to stand alone.

The patience test: Your dream won't happen quickly you may be a mature man or woman before it's fulfilment. Every frustrating day you'll have to hold onto your dream or risk losing it. Patience isn't just hoping things work out; it's persevering and believing what God said. 'Learn to be patient, so that you will please God and be given what He promised'. Hebrews (10:36).

The strength test: For a while circumstances made by the critics may appear to be right. You may be in a pit, frightened, alone in a strange country without  family and friends, or in prison with an unearned criminal record. But you must remain strong in your conviction that your dream was really from God.

The focus test: With enough emotional baggage to sink the Titanic, sibling resentment, abandonment, false accusations and compound losses, you must control your focus. If you fixate on your problems and obstacles that will only produce disillusionment. Maintain your dream-focus will be your salvation.

The readiness test: When God finally begins opening doors you have to be ready for action! Discouragement or negative thinking will blind you to opportunity. So keep your spirit and gifts honed, take action every occasion to use them, and watch as God turns your vision into a reality.

Obstacles won't destroy your vision, but your attitude will. It's not over till God says it's over. Circumstances and people don't have the last word; God does! He after all is the author and finisher of our faith, Hebrews (12:2). With God, quitting is not an option.
When you quit without his permission you're 'AWOL'. Furthermore, if you are not where God wants you to be, how can you receive the protection and provision He has planned for you?

Refusing to stay down denies your enemy permission to sabotage your destiny.
So ask God to give you a dream for this "New Year", ask God for a dream so big and watch as your faith grows.

Reverend William Bowers