Do the Vision

Last time I wrote about the importance of writing down our vision, dreams, and goals. Habakkuk 2:2b-3a says, “‘Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time;’” After we Write the Vision, we must Do the Vision.

The Lord tells Habakkuk those who read the vision should then run with the vision. Vision and dreams are wonderful, but they will have little value or impact if never acted upon. If God has given us a dream or a vision, then it is up to us to begin to carry it out. The exciting fact is once we begin to Do the Vision, the Lord will join us in the process! St. Augustine once said, “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” St. Augustine’s thought process is a very helpful and effective way to live.

The Lord also told Habakkuk the vision was for an appointed or specific time. There are certain dreams and visions God created you to do within the particular time you are alive. The Lord is counting on YOU to do them. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” God prepared good works and then created YOU with those specific works (vision) in mind. You are not an accident; you were made for this.

An essential aspect of beginning to Do the Vision is filtering the vision through the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. The Great Commandment is loving God with everything you have and everything you are, as well as loving your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). The Great Commission is going while doing (Matthew 28:18-20). If we receive our vision from the Lord and include Jesus in the process, then we will simultaneously be fulfilling the Great Commandment and the Great Commission at the same time.

As my wife and I were preparing our house to sell, we made a conscious effort to include the Lord in the entire process. We wanted to leave the house better than we found it ten years ago. We prayed for the future owners. We wanted our home to be a blessing to the next family that lived here, even if it cost us a little more money, work, or time. Our vision wasn’t to make the most money possible. Our vision was and is to build the Kingdom of God.

We did a bunch of work over several months, including painting every room in the house.
Every. Single. Room.

Next time I will write about what happens after we begin to Do the Vision. It’s important we Don’t Give Up On the Vision.

The time is now; shake the earth!

- Joel