Vision Map: Charting a Course for Your Hopes and DreamsSample

The Power of Vision It all started on a mountain in Russia. In a blizzard. At 16,000 feet above sea level. It was on that mountain (that I had no business climbing) that God gave me a vision to start leading people on outdoor expeditions around the world with a spiritual focus. I had no idea what I was doing. But I got a vision for what could be – so I got moving toward that vision and learned a whole lot along the way. Taking one small step at a time, like climbing a mountain, that dream became a reality as I did what I could do and God stepped in and did what I couldn’t do. My guess is that if you're reading this it’s because you have a dream in your heart. I'm also guessing there's huge gap between where you are where you'd like to be. When God gives you a vision it's always bigger than anything you can do on your own. Often it feels very overwhelming. I think he does that so we will be totally dependent on him during the process of going after the dream. I believe that God wants to see the dream he gave you become a reality even more than you do. He wants to take your efforts, add his power, and bring the dream he gave you to life. In this 5-day reading plan, I want to share a little bit about what I learned about pursuing an impossible dream and give you a simple tool to help you get organized and moving toward the vision in your heart. You may not feel like much of a visionary, but if you have an idea about what you want your future to look like in your family, career, finances, of ministry, then you are a visionary. A vision is simply a picture of what a brighter future could look like. Whether your vision is a better relationship with your kids or spouse, staring a business, improving your financial situation, or just making sure you’re reaching your potential, it’s important to have something to aim at. A clear vision gives purpose to our daily lives and helps us keep focused. King Solomon said, “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.” When we don’t have a specific direction to move toward it’s easy to cast off restraint, get distracted, and wander off after whatever seems most urgent. A vision helps us cut through the noise when life gets loud and complicated. There are so many things calling for our immediate attention, but those things aren’t always the most important things. When we have a vision to aim at, we know where to give our most important resources of time, money, and energy. We’ll know what to say yes to – the things that will help us move toward the vision. We’ll also know what to say no to – those things that take our time, money, and energy away from the vision. Using your time, money, and energy to the best of your ability, with wisdom, is called stewardship. When we stand before the Master, like in the parable in today’s reading, he will only ask us what we did with what he gave us. When we've been faithful with what he gave us -- no matter how small it may seem-- we are given more. When God gives you a vision, it will always be something you can’t do on your own. He wants to make sure you're seeking him throughout the process. He wants to take your effort, add his power to the equation, and accomplish things that would have been impossible without him. All he asks is that we be good stewards -- do the best we can with what we have. You can't plan your life. But you can be a good steward of what God has given you as you move step by step toward the dream he has for your life. In this reading plan, I’ll share some of what I learned about pursuing a vision for your life and offer a simple vision mapping strategy, using blank paper and a red and a black pen, that you can use to break the big vision down into small steps and get focused on moving toward the hopes and dreams God has placed in your heart. To get started, take some time today to think about what resources God has given you. Family, friends, knowledge, finances, your job. Even if it seems small or insignificant, take some time to thank him for what you have right now.