The topic of vision has been brought up so much within this last month. I myself have pondered about vision, heard a couple sermons about it, and been praying about it. However, because of how bad last year had been for me emotionally and mentally, I had to reflect on the consequences of no vision.
When there is no vision, you’re not working toward something. With no ambition, you simply exist. With no goals, you remain stuck where you are, can grow complacent, and eventually unhappy with the lack of growth. I was there: just going through life doing the bare minimum, just what was expected of me. I didn’t dare hope for anything or have concrete expectations because I was tired of being disappointed. I allowed the past to hinder my future, and basically, gave up on myself.
So, I’m just going to be transparent if that’s okay. I was unhappy with my circumstances: the job, the fact I wasn’t in school, and feeling alone. My focus stayed on my situation and not on the possible future. When I lacked vision, I perished mentally, emotionally, and physically. Basically, I gave the devil an opportunity to worm his way into my mind with negativity and discouragement which made way for doubt, sadness, and self-loathing. In turn, I was stuck in an unhappy space, forgetting what God had already done, and stopping the progress toward where He could take me. Nonetheless, the great thing about God is that He still loves us and will reach out when we call on Him. I am so thankful that He cares and didn’t give up on me, that He has a plan for my life, and that He’s so merciful to give me another chance to get things right.
To further understand the importance of vision, let’s take a real-world example, working out. It’s a simple goal, but it takes perseverance and endurance. So, if you’re like me, it takes some motivation from deep somewhere to convince me to spend some time working out, but before I start, I have to go into that exercise room with a clear goal in mind; otherwise, I’ll easily stop or give up too soon. During my stretching, I’m thinking in my head, how long do I want to work out, which exercises do I want to do, and what order to do them. Once that’s determined, I go in and get started. At the beginning of the workout, I’m fine: even breathing, steady pace, good music flowing into my ears; I get into that zone. However, after some time, my tune is different: labored breathing, sweat coating my skin, and the tendrils of tiredness wrapping around my body. I’m ready to stop, but I can’t because the timer only shows I’m halfway through my desired time. So, I’ve got to mentally coach myself: “I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. Just a little bit longer.”
Such is the case when having a vision. The vision is pointless unless you actively work toward it and trust God to do His part and bring it to pass. Just like saying I want to work out isn’t enough; I have to implement a goal and work toward that goal consistently. When things get tough or seem like they’re not going to work out, keep going, keep pressing, keep trying. Encourage yourself to get through. Pray about the situation. Just don’t give up.
Ultimately, it’s important to have a vision, but you must work toward it as well. In this year, I encourage you to consider a few questions: what is your vision? What are you doing to work toward your vision? And I’m rooting for you to succeed. Be blessed! 🙂
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”
Proverbs 29: 18 KJV
Andréa Hardaway 