“And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie; though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” Habakkuk 2:2-3
The first time I read Dr. Steven Covey’s book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, I was completely overwhelmed. I had to read the chapters more than once for it to really sink in. The book is an intellectual review of what it takes to be a highly effective leader; not simply in business, but in life. There are several universal principles; such as, the development of a personal mission statement and charting a vision course that will ultimately cover your life, family, and career. More importantly, with considerable regards to humanity as a whole, and above all else, God.
Truthfully, I never really considered a written statement for my life until I read the book. I had always written down my goals, but the thought of writing a mission and visionary statement for my life, until then, seemed unnecessary. That was in the early 90’s; I knew what I wanted to do, and was clearly on track to accomplish my goals. At the time, my company was doing well; and, the leadership training and development program I developed had garnered major interest from a large city agency. As I have gotten older, my life and my goals have changed. Maybe, it has changed for you also. Writing a vision and mission statement for your life is a means of keeping you on track. It forces you to critically and spiritually look at all aspects of your life, while working to maintain your higher ideals through the vicissitudes of life—you know, those crazy ups and downs where keeping up your ideals can be a lot harder than keeping up with the neighbors.
Writing a mission and vision statement for your life is not easy, it takes a lot of thought. It can be highly complex in its simplicity, leaving very little room for all those vicissitudes in your life. Or, it can be so simple it borders on the impossible; like, “promoting world peace.” But, if praising, loving, and respecting God is number one on the list, it will be difficult not to see it through. Keep in mind this statement by writer Os Hillman; "God often births a vision in your life only to allow it to die first before the purest version of the vision is manifested."
—True words indeed; but, write it anyway. L.
Study Reference: Habakkuk 2:2-3, Proverbs 29:18
Excerpt From:"Write The Vision." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
photo: shutterstock
RSS Feed
