Lately, I’ve been thinking about “vision.” I don’t mean spiritual signs and wonders, but vision along the lines of our God-given dreams: where we feel God is leading our passions, our talents, and our hearts.
You see, for me, vision was blurry most of the time. It was difficult for me to see past my present 9-5 job. But I found myself daydreaming about being an artist and writer someday. I can remember going out to my car on lunch breaks when I worked as a bank teller. For the next hour, I’d pour over Bible studies and scribble notes that would eventually become the words for my first book, The Palace Keepers. I couldn’t explain to other people why I felt the urge to create and pursue opportunities that presented themselves to share my art and writing with others. It was just something burning within me that I couldn’t control.
Do you know what that’s like?
One of the greatest tragedies I see in the walk of a Christian’s life is when they make a decision based off of the feelings of fellow human beings. I’ve seen people give up on dreams before they even started because they felt inadequate, confused, or someone told them it was impossible.
What is sad is that instead of having confidence that God will reveal the plan little by little as we move forward in faith, we halt the process altogether and switch gears based on the opinions of other people. While council from our appointed authorities is essential, we usually allow people to speak into our lives who have no godly authority to speak into our lives at all.
I remember scribbling behind old receipts, empty containers, and office scrap paper. I remember getting laid off from my job and having a joy in my spirit that afternoon. I remember opening my online shop for the first time and feeling overwhelmed. I remember sitting down with my husband and my pastor, hearing encouraging words, and knowing I had their support. And I remember the times when I was daydreaming about what I’m doing now . . . and I have to remind myself that God-given dreams are possible if Jesus is at the center of it all.
So what exactly do we do with “vision” if we feel God is leading us to something greater?
Pray.
We first need to pray and ask the Lord if we should pursue this dream, and if so, to please reveal to us the next step to take. God is in the business of heart transformation. So we must remind ourselves to seek Him first so that we have the right heart before we begin pursing any dreams at all.
Research.
Take some quiet time to find Scripture relevant to your current situation or season of life. Study them and keep them close by for reference. For more practical research in relation to your dream (like being a writer for example), Google and YouTube are full of free knowledge to get you started. Take notes, save pages, keep everything in a folder, and start to form where you want to go.
Plan.
Even though you won’t know all the steps to achieving your dream, you still need to plan easy ways you can start inching towards it daily. Make a list of what you’ll need to do before anything else based on the research you’ve done. For example, I knew I would need to purchase an ISBN number and finalize my manuscript before I could self-publish my book. Just two things, but it was the beginning of the plan. You can always add things on as you learn more and are ready to take additional steps.
Action.
In my latest book, The Glitter Effect, I talk about the power of influence and how the difference between a dreamer and a doer is the follow through.
Sweet friend, it is not enough to just dream. Anyone can do that. Take Joseph. He wasn’t just a dreamer. He was faithful in all he did, honest, and he kept his integrity while he worked hard. If Joseph was just a dreamer but didn’t have faith in the God who gave him the dreams, he may not have been put into a high position of power. I truly believe that others saw his great faith in the God he served because his actions spoke just as loud. Make it a point to do something about the vision. Talking about it is great, but it’s action that will make it happen.
What dream or vision do you feel God is giving you?
Are you allowing other people to dictate your story or are you taking actionable steps to achieve the goals you desire? Please don’t let anyone take away the vision that God has given you! Joseph’s brothers didn’t see his vision. They didn’t know the dream that God gave him. That never changed the dream, but it did change the heart of the dreamer and made him more prepared when it was time to take action. Hold onto the vision, keep that dream alive, and have faith that God will make a way if you’re willing to follow through on the path He has laid ahead of you.
~~~~~~~~~~
Jacy Lee Pulford is a self-published Christian author and artist who strives to uplift and inspire. With the help of Jesus and coffee, Jacy is a homeschooling boymom running Hello Awesome and the Hello Awesome Podcast, a creative ministry. She resides with her husband and two sons in Connecticut. Follow Jacy on Instagram for encouraging messages and artwork @helloawesomeministries