The alarm clock rings and once again I feel the weighty tug of Monday upon my shoulders. When I rise in the morning, prior to spending time with God and “plugging in” I always struggle to see God’s reality for my life. I wake stuck in the thoughts of “to-do’s” and project planning nightmares. I have learned that my vision leaks. However, with God, vision can become a powerful force for good in my life. Especially come Monday morning.
After the weekends rest, comes the labor. Clearly that was never meant to be a bad thing. As a matter of fact, as I have been reading the creation story in the Book of Genesis it dawned on me that we were all created to work. If this is true, it begs the question, “why do I struggle come Monday and celebrate come Friday?” I believe it’s because at times I lose sight of my vision for the future. Somehow in all of my thinking, theology, strategy, and study, I forget that it’s OK to make big plans with God. By nature, I stop owning big hopes and that limits my focus forward towards God, and I fail to overcome the labor pains of life. In essence, I feel caged.
Let me ask you a very personal question; kind of like what good best friends might ask each other. “What is it that makes your heart come alive?” Dream with me for a second and don’t put up the bars around that vision. Where did it take you? Cool, isn’t it?
Remembering that God created the heavens, the earth…and me, is a powerful way to start thinking about the future. First it humbles me then it begs yet another question, “since when did God tell me to settle, stop hoping for something huge and become less than he created me to be?” That’s not humility, that’s fear. For me, I believe that at the core of my little leaders heart lays a vision waiting to be released into the future. (A vision that has been designed by God, just for me.)
To live from the heart of God means I need to cast personal life visions and then begin to walk them into fruition. I am not talking about living a life that always looks to the greener grass on the “other” side of the street. Rather, a life that’s fearless and calling upon all my faith to help maximize God’s glory inside of me. No journey of comparison just an honest strategy that God and I work on together to chart our future.
God wants us all to lead well and live strong, full of love. Abundantly, so that we can rub off on and influence a world that has grown cynical and weary. As a community of faith-filled leaders, we need to start dreaming again. Stop letting the world tell us what is good and bad; rather anchor ourselves in faith and let loose the big visions in life.
But the more I deny God’s vision for me, the further away hope becomes and once I lose sight of hope – I know that Monday is around the corner.
It is risky to dream big with God; to be lost in hope, because there will be setbacks and struggles. I cringe at the thought of failure but also understand the source of all my dreams and visions for the future is the Spirit of God dwelling in me. I may fail at times, but Christ in me can take over the world in love if I only dare to cast “God-sized” visions for my life. It doesn’t have to be so hard.
The alarm clock is still ringing this morning. However, the difference is me. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) Keep ringing alarm…you make my day!
