Christian Living

---

Where do you see your life in 5, 10, or 20 years? Where might your life be if you pursued God's ultimate best, compared to where it is now? This can happen if you build a vision for your life.

A vision for one's life goes beyond a career. It is looking ahead to what you can do with your life to make it fulfill its purpose. Think of it this way: A job or vocation is simply a way to EARN A LIVING; a vision helps BUILD LIVES, by offering to God whatever you have to give him, no matter how small. A job is only TEMPORARY until you retire, a vision is doing something that goes on PERMANENTLY in the lives of other people.

I have a job that won't last forever, especially because I am 64 years old. I also have a writing and speaking ministry that will continue to help people long after my job ends. People will continue reading my articles on faithwriters.

How does one discern what his or her real purpose is in life? Some people see "the big picture" for their life early, and others later, but everyone has one. Every Christian has at least one spiritual gift which should be used to fulfill their God-given vision. If you are a person reading this who thinks your life has no value, or that you have come out of such horrible circumstances or done so many wrong things, that you don't see how your life can possibly be used to accomplish something good, I want to tell you it can. In fact, sometimes the people with the worst past have the greater vision.

Most people have never stopped to consider developing a vision for their life; they are content to drift through life with no focused perspective. They wake up every morning in the same rut they were in 5 years ago. The nice thing about a vision is that it keeps one's life moving forward.

Here are 10 steps to apply in developing a vision for your life. Successful people do these things. Think totally apart from a career.

1. Get by yourself for a day or several days with NO cell phone or distractions in a nice quiet place and just THINK. Do this on a regular basis. Take nothing but a writing pad, a pen or pencil, and a Bible.

2. Take money totally out of the picture.

3. Assess your abilities, gifts, and desires. Write down what comes to mind.

4. Find some need in people's lives and fill it, in your unique way.

5. How do you believe your life can be put to the best use in the lives of other people and to the glory of God?

6. Pray, read the Bible, and seek God's wisdom. Let him speak to you in stillness and silence.

7. On what kind of people might you want to focus, in a particular type of ministry?

8. Where do you see your life in 10 or 20 years? What would happen if you allowed God to use your life in any way he sees fit? God knows how your life can best be used to advance his kingdom.

9. Visualize the future that God may have for you.

10. Ask God for a confirmed, divine directive through other people, circumstances, and open doors of opportunity.

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE