Keep it or Kill it – the choice is yours

There have been a lot of times where I have felt like I have lived with a lot of vision.  There have been other seasons where I know I lacked it.

Life and ministry are ALWAYS more fun and exciting where you know you have some God-given dream or vision that is stirring you and leading you forward – pushing you beyond where you are currently are.

Many of us can quote Proverbs 29:18… “Where there’s no vision…people perish…”

We see this lived out in other ways throughout the bible.  One example is found in John 21.  Jesus has died, the disciples are left wondering what is next and Peter speaks up: “Let’s go back to what we know – fishing.”  It’s as if Peter has completely lost sight of the vision that Jesus had laid out for His disciples before His death.  Now Peter and his friends are back in the place of the comfortable and familiar.  Doing what they have always done.  Thankfully Jesus rescues them from abandoning the vision and reminds Peter the focus and priority of his life is now to reach people.

I wish it wasn’t so easy to find ourselves in those places.  But often it is.  Here are a few thoughts on how to keep the vision fresh, and a few thoughts on how to kill the vision in your life.  The choice is ours!

8 Way’s to keep vision fresh in Ministry:

1.     Intimacy with Jesus

2.     Get around people who will push you and make you better

3.     Read

4.     Think/Ponder/Journal

5.     Take a “field trip” – be inspired by how others are doing things

6.     Invest in someone else

7.     Step out in faith

8.     Focus on where you are “winning”

8 Vision Killers:

1.     Complacency / Maintenance Mode in your relationship with Jesus

2.     Surround yourself with negative voices (or be a negative voice)

3.     Focus on all your flaws/failures

4.     Leave no margin to think, be creative or excellent

5.     Focus just on YOU

6.     Keep things safe / stick with the status quo

7.     Make your top priority that people will pour into you

8.     Do nothing to develop yourself

Make the choice to keep the vision stirred and growing in your life!