From Lack of Vision to God's Vision

Proverbs 29:18- Where there is no vision, the people perish; but happy is he who keeps the law.

When I read this scripture recently, I thought about the times in my life where things got rough. One common denominator is that I lost vision in some regard. Whether it was because I stopped seeking God’s wisdom, whether I forgot who I was, or that I let my circumstances overwhelm me, I realized that I did not have the right focus. The thing is, I don’t think that I am the only person out there who has fallen victim to distraction.

There are a lot of things out there that causes those distractions, and I am going to go through a few of the common ones. As always, I hope this is not preachy, because honestly I have had to get through a lot of these myself and my intent is to encourage and challenge people and redirect our vision. So, instead of…

Seeking Value from Others, realize that God views you as valuable. In Christ, no one is supposed to be viewed more valuable than the next. So next time you feel that you are not adding up to what someone else wants of you, remember people are not your audience. God is. He has placed you somewhere because you are valuable there (1 Corinthians 12: 15-26). Then we will see that God views us as valuable.

Worrying about provisions, remember that God will provide. It may seem rough right now, but if you are responsible with your finances God blesses you. I know from experience (as of right now). He takes care of things that are less valuable than ourselves, so how much more will he take care of us! (Luke 12:22-31) When we see (and remember) God’s provision, we will not fear tomorrow.

Trying to obtain more “stuff”, be content with what we have. Learning restraint and control in life is important because greed, addiction, and self-centered pursuit leads to ruin. Solomon learned that it is fruitless (Ecclesiates 2:10-11) and that envy is dangerous (Proverbs 14:30). It is tough in a materialistic world, but I remind myself that my possessions will not possess me… and that I am a steward of what God gives me. When we understand this principle, we see possessions for what they are: things.

Trying to hurry into marriage, focus on preparing yourself for marriage. This is why we should focus on becoming loving people (1 Cor 13:4-7, 8a), and ask God to take desire away for anything other than who he wants us to be with (Song of Songs 3:5). In doing so, we seek his vision for marriage rather than a hurried and chaotic approach that generally leads to negative results.

Acting on biases, try to understand the situation. What I have found is that if someone is mad at Christians (for example), they will LOOK for a reason to validate their biases. Proverbs describes this behavior as foolish (Proverbs 18:2), there is even an instruction to avoid people who are fools since they scorn wisdom (Proverbs 23:9). Proverbs 24:23 also mentions that judging with partiality is bad. This is why we must seek to righteously see people and situations the way God would see them.

Blaming others, examine what I can fix myself. One thing that I noticed is that men will blame women for dressing inappropriately, but they will not train their own mind to look away even if the person is modestly dressed. We have to give an account of ourselves to God (Romans 14:12), and I remind myself that everyday. As a teacher, I have a stricter call that keeps me motivated to keep a good example (James 3:1). In doing so, I honestly seek to see myself through God’s lens.

Getting angry and hurting people, try to bring peace and understanding to a situation (Proverbs 29:11). How somebody acts when they are distressed is a good view of their character. This is a hard lesson for some, and I had to learn that anger will not master me, I will master it. In doing so, we see that emotions can be controlled and not control us.

Remembering how people hurt you, find ways to forgive them. This one can be tough, but we are reminded to forgive others so that we too may be forgiven (Mark 11:25). Holding back forgiveness is poison to our souls, so it is important to let God deal with judging the sins of others. It is also a great feeling when you can release those burdens. I have also learned that the “Goliaths” in life are often times pathetic people who use their size, rank, and other advantages over those that are disadvantaged. When we see this, we can see how sad these people really are and have pity on them.

Feeling Worthless compared to others, know that God has made you unique and that you were fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). You may not feel great all the time, but know that God wants you to be you and not anybody else. When we understand this, we see that we are important people after all!

“Where there is no vision, the people perish; but happy is he who keeps the law.”

All of the bold phrases above demonstrate lack of vision or faulty vision. This is when we direct our sight somewhere it should not be. But the good thing is that we have scripture and the Holy Spirit to guide us and show us who we really are.

Is it easy? Not always. Is it desirable? Not always? In fact, sometimes the world thrives and reveres some of those negative attributes. But God calls us to be different than that! God calls us to rise above that! In closing, my hope is that you will join me as I try to reassess where my vision lies. Join me as I seek to see the world through God’s lens rather than my faulty lenses. This week, find an area of your life that makes you feel discontent, and ask God to guide you to a healthier view of yourself. Thank you for reading, and may the Lord bless you!