In my book Visioneering, I use the biblical figure of Nehemiah to illustrate the effective pursuit of a vision for one’s life. Nehemiah got the war-damaged city of Jerusalem back together and functioning as it was supposed to. He organized the people to rebuild the city’s wall. He instituted social and spiritual reform. He got the temple operating again. And he convinced the people to observe the Sabbath as God intended.
As I’ve said, everybody ends up somewhere in life. Nehemiah ended up somewhere on purpose.
Then, when he had completed his vision, he asked God to remember him with favor. This shows he had a sense of destiny. He never lost sight of the divine nature and significance of his work.
Like Nehemiah, you have a destiny to fulfill. God has placed before you opportunities and responsibilities that are brimming with divine significance. He has given you gifts, talents, and relationships that are waiting to be exploited on behalf of his kingdom. You have a multifaceted mental picture of a preferred future. You have a vision.
But as Nehemiah’s story demonstrates, it takes more than imagination and passion to make what could and should be a reality. A vision requires more than a singular encounter with God. For even those experience where he clearly births an idea in your heart will not provide you with the tools nor the momentum necessary to see it through to completion.
Visioneering requires patience, investigation, and planning. Visioneering requires faith in God’s ability to work behind the scenes. Confidence that he will orchestrate what he has originated.
There will be seasons when you feel like you are making little if any progress. In those times it will be easy to get distracted. This is when you must join with Nehemiah in declaring,
“I am doing a great work and I cannot come down” (Nehemiah 6:3). Whether your visions are family, ministry, or business oriented, they require constant attention. Stay focused.
Most importantly, remember that there is divine potential in all that God has put in your heart to do. The end of a God-ordained vision is God. His glory is the ultimate agenda. Allow your heavenly Father to exploit the visions you are pursuing for his glory.
As you pray and reflect, identify the steps and challenges that lie immediately ahead of you in your own course of visioneering. Then get going on it.
And that’s the Memo by Andy Stanley.
*an excerpt from the YouVersion Reading Plan Visioneering*
