Tag Archives: vision

What are you living for?

Last week I had a conversation with one of my work colleagues.   We were talking about what we would do with our free time if we didn’t have to work for a living.  My friend is quite athletic and told me that he would love to spend more time coaching kids. 

All of us need a sense of purpose  to give meaning to our lives.  You don’t have to be a person of faith to recognize this – it’s a commonly accepted principle of psychology.   People who have a clear sense of vision and purpose are happier and more productive than those who have no vision.   Having a vision helps us to stay on track.  As the well-known proverb puts it, where there is no vision the people perish – perhaps more accurately rendered where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained.  Effective youth leaders and wise parents understand that a positive vision is far more effective than rules in helping young people stay out of trouble. 

For people who do not see themselves as accountable to God, it would seem that any vision will do.  One vision is as good as the next – it’s really up to you.   Whatever floats your boat, as the saying goes.   But my life doesn’t belong to me, since I have surrendered control of it to Jesus Christ.  Actually it never belonged to me in the first place – the whole idea of freedom outside of God is an illusion.   We can only be free when we have yielded control of our lives to Him, and that’s the only context in which we can discover the true purpose of our lives.

My friend has a vision for his life.  It’s a good vision as far as it goes.  Working with kids is very important.  But kids need mentors who can not only have fun with them and teach them practical skills, but also lead them to God and help them discover their eternal value and purpose in a relationship with Jesus.   Playing on sports teams, as valuable as it can be for developing physical fitness, teamwork and perseverance, can never replace this.

We all need a vision for our lives, but a vision that doesn’t take account of God’s call on our lives is inadequate.   My friend might indeed be designed by God to coach and mentor kids.  Quite likely his desire to do this is an expression of gifts and abilities that are part of his God-given makeup.  Even so, unless this purpose is surrendered to God and seen in light of God’s overarching purpose for all of creation, my friend will ultimately be missing the boat.   He may do many good things – excellent things, even – and still miss the ultimate point of his life, which is first and foremost to be a lover and worshipper of the Most High God who made him.  Every other purpose in our lives must be surrendered to this one and take second place to it, otherwise the whole house will eventually come tumbling down.   In the timeless words of King Solomon of Israel, unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain.    Jesus’ own words were even stronger : What good is it to gain the whole world and forfeit your soul? 

Some good questions to ask ourselves :

  • What’s my vision? 
  • Have I surrendered it to God?  ( Is it his vision or mine?  )
  • Is it consistent with the way God has made me and the gifts He has given me?
  • How does it fit into His overall Kingdom purposes? 
  • How am I walking it out? 

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NOTE to City Church small group leaders – I’ve included this post in the Small Groups category because it could function as a useful discussion topic in small groups.

Healthy small groups : 4 areas of focus

One of the key characteristics that defines a healthy life is intentional, purposeful activity.  People are designed by God to have a purpose.  Even people who don’t believe in God recognize that a sense of purpose is one of the keys to mental health.  Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church, capitalized on this theme a few years ago with his best-seller The Purpose-Driven Life. 

What’s true for individuals is true for churches.   Healthy churches are churches with a clear sense of purpose and some idea of how to get there.   Yet in any area of life, including church life, it is so easy to get into a rut and just keep doing things as we have been doing them.  It can be a real eye-opener to stop and ask ourselves some questions :

  • Why are we still doing this ? 
  • What was our goal?  Have we lost sight of it?
  • Are we there yet? (subject of a recent sermon at City Church)
  • If not there yet (most likely we’re not), are we still on the right track?
  • If we’ve gotten off track, how did it happen and what adjustments do we need to make?

When it comes to small groups, there’s a useful “health check” that can help us evaluate whether we are on the right track.   Think of your small group and ask yourself these four questions :

  1. Are we looking upward?  Are we looking to God who is our source?  In our gatherings and our times together between meetings are we truly connecting with God and opening ourselves up to God’s purposes, his living word, and the operation of his Spirit?
  2. Are we looking inward?  Are we opening up to each other at more than a surface level?  Are we building connections that involve learning to trust each other, sharing struggles, joys, sorrows, hopes, victories?  Are our hearts becoming connected?
  3. Are we looking outward?  Are we learning to think like Kingdom people?  Are we living for His purposes or is our small group only about us?  Are we learning to see the people around us from God’s perspective, and do we bring their concerns and needs – especially their need of salvation – before his throne? 
  4. Are we looking forward?  Often honest friends are one of the instruments God will use to help us see the areas that he wants to transform, and to support us and pray for us and help us to grow.   Are we willing to take the risk of challenging each other to grow up in Christ – and the greater risk of opening up our own hearts to that same challenge?

Reflections from Minnesota – Day 4

Last night I was privileged to participate in a two-hour prayer watch at the BHOP Prayer Room.  It was a wonderful experience — both refreshing and challenging.  I soon found myself hearing easily from God in this atmosphere of worship and spiritual intimacy.  This increases my hunger to see an increased flow of intimacy and spiritual power in the intercessory ministry at my home church.

BHOP is part of a global prayer movement that is committed to the establishment of night and day prayer in every region of the globe, in preparation for an end-time harvest and the return of Jesus as King.  I am so glad that Simeon is involved in this ministry.  He seems to have found his place and his calling, at least for this season.  It is good to see him growing as a worshipper, prayer leader and student of the Word.

So many prayers have been answered, and so many doors have opened for Simeon and Heather (not without obstacles and opposition – but then nothing of value happens without opposition).  It is good to be able to see Simeon and Heather coming into their own ministry and calling.  It is good to see them involved in something that I can believe in without reservation.  It is good to be able to learn from what God is working in my children.  I am more convinced than ever that they are where they belong.

Marion and I know how much of a blessing our parents were to our children, and we want to bless our grandchildren with good memories and lots of love and encouragement.  Since we won’t be able to see Sophie often, we want to plan for special family events that she will look forward to and remember.  One step we are taking is to make plans for an annual summer getaway in either Upper Michigan or Northern Ontario – somewhere approximately midway between Ottawa and Bloomington.

So how was your weekend …

When I get to work today, I know people are going to ask “so how was your weekend?”.  I had a great weekend!  It was great because I spent it with some awesome people.

My weekend started with a really productive Saturday morning.  I got to spend Saturday morning in one of my favourite activities – a building project.

Now, those of you who know me well are aware that I’m not a skilled carpenter or craftsman.  But that’s not the kind of building project I’m talking about.  I wasn’t working with wood or brick or ceramic or drywall – I was working with people.

What was I doing ?   Meeting with about a dozen small group leaders and potential leaders from our church.  What’s so exciting about that, you ask ?  It was exciting because of the incredible, quality people I was with.

  • They are motivated to love God and serve others
  • They know what really matters and what doesn’t
  • They are willing to be vulnerable and aren’t trying to impress others
  • They are seeking reality, not trying to escape from it
  • They are willing to be trained and to learn new skills for the sake of serving others
  • People from different generations were meeting together as friends and listening to each other
  • They understand the incredible value of the true life that Jesus gives, and are willing to open up their homes and their time to share that life with others

At our church we say that we are seeking to reach our city and touch our world one person at a time.  The people I hung out with Saturday morning are world changers.  They are world changers because they are people changers.  We need more like them !