What does the process of conceiving and following a God given vision look like?
Yesterday during a conversation, I was acutely reminded of the pain of not being confident in your life vision as I listened to the person in front of me, super hungry to know what she is supposed to do.
Our conversation reminded me of key truths and process that enables us to walk in confidence that we are aligned to all that God has for us.
Key Truth No. 1
Yes, you have a calling!
God has made each of us for a purpose and each of us has a big call on our lives! This will be to change and impact the world in a way that only you could. This is true however old or young you are. You still have a call on your life and can fulfil that whatever your season.
Key Truth No. 2
Most people get prepared outside the realm of call that God has planned for them.
For some reason God seems to prepare a lot of us (not all), outside the area we will eventually end up in. For example, Jesus spent most of his adult life as a carpenter before he stepped into being a full-time ‘teacher’, ‘prophet’, ‘saviour’! Many people who work in full time or part time Christian ministry started off in business or public sector roles and vice versa. Why is this important to know? Well, as soon as we realise this is normal, it becomes less scary to consider our future vision may well include a big change from what has become familiar.
Key Truth No. 3
God designed you to flourish in what He has called you to.
You were made with particular skills and talents and specific preferences, likes and dislikes. God’s plan for you will include using your specific talents, skills, strengths and giftings. It will include working in environments that make you happy and cause you to thrive with people you have a heart for.
Everything He has created has specific functions and flourishes operating in what it is designed for. He didn’t create humans to operate in areas they were not designed for and don’t enjoy. It’s not in the nature of our God to do this. So you are not supposed to stay somewhere you are not flourishing in!
Key Truth No. 4
God reveals your personal, specific, unique purpose.
It is not meant to be a mystery or tremendously difficult to discover. It’s not a guessing game, a game of cat and mouse or blind man’s bluff. God wants to speak to you about your call. He wants you to know it!
The Bible says, ‘make your calling and election sure’ (2 Peter 1: 10). God speaks to people today just as He always has. He hasn’t changed. He is still there, still wanting to communicate.
He has planted clues in your life, also vision and ideas. Yes, He requires faith and trust from you, but not in the form of blindly not knowing your call. He requires faith and trust in you to step into your call and live it out.
Key Truth No 5
You have a choice.
You are not forced to follow a vision that God gives you. You have to choose to. There will be difficult choices to make. Most commonly you will at some point have to choose between the comfortable, safe, familiar road of what you know, what is proven and the unknown, seemingly risky, crazy road with no guarantees. One of these roads will grow your faith in God exponentially and bring you closer to him and closer to what you were made for. Guess which one?
Key Truth No. 6
Your vision will unfurl in ways you don’t expect.
12 years ago a vision was conceived in me. I didn’t know this. The vision started with a question. What if you take the incredible life changing power of coaching and bring the power of God into it? I sensed something amazing could result. I didn’t for a minute imagine what would happen.
During the years following this question, God gave me the opportunity to coach many leaders in this way. He showed me ways to combine encounter with Him into professional coaching practices.
12 years later, I am teaching and imparting this to others, pioneering a new way of coaching which coaches deep into the heart and spirit and allows the power of God to accelerate everything.
You also have a vision that God wants to cultivate, grow and expand in you.
Recognising the vision
The first challenge is recognising the vision that God is giving you. This vision may start with a question you have pondered. ‘What if…. ‘or ‘How could… ‘. ‘How could this problem in the world be eradicated?’ or ‘How could the injustice to these people be stopped?’ or ‘How could there be more of……..?’
The very things in the world that you want to impact positively are the start of your God given vision.
Most people don’t recognise this simple truth.
Choosing the vision
Once you recognise a vision being birthed in you, you have choice: Will you pursue it? Will you give time to cultivate it in your heart? Will you take steps towards it?
By following your heart you are beginning the pursuit of clarity of your purpose and your God given vision. If your idea, seems too big, too impossible, too ridiculous to consider, that’s a sure sign that it is something from God. It will give God room to fulfil your greater potential.
So, don’t be flippant about things that affect your heart. Don’t ignore what you end up noticing. Don’t dismiss your curiosity about bringing something different to the world.
You were created in the image of The Creator. You have incredible creative ability to impact the world positively.
Absolutely loved this! So encouraging and in season for me, especially keys 2 & 3 cause I’ve been praying about my being “stuck” for decades, and although I’ve tried various things I’ve even had depression from being in draining jobs and many failed attempts of changing those circumstances (Joseph’s story has always resonated with me – I figure I’ve needed lots of character development!!)
I’m about to embark on your Residential Course in January and really looking forward to this part of the journey. Thank you for writing such an inspiring, well written piece to fit into the puzzle 🙂