Having a vision for ourselves is very important to living a life on purpose. Without a vision for ourselves, we will all stagger our way towards an undefined goal: nothing.
Every athlete knows that his training will soon pay off. Every race car driver knows that there's a finish line waiting for him at the end of the track. Every Christian, then, must realize that there's a finish line at the end of this life: the time when we will meet Christ face to face.
Because of this, we must be careful to have a vision for ourselves so we can work towards what God wants us to do. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 tells us,
"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown."
But why do we find it hard to have a vision for ourselves?
Here are a few possible reasons.
1) We don't seek God for it
Perhaps the biggest reason why we find it hard to have a vision for ourselves is because we really don't seek the One from whom we should receive it: God.
Habakkuk 2:1-3 tells us,
"I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected.
Then the Lord answered me and said:
"Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, it will not tarry."
2) By not obeying God's word
The Bible contains God's instructions for any and everything in our lives. It carries all of God's plans for mankind, all of them plainly laid out for us see. All we need to do is to obey it.
The Bible's pages contain God's plans for us to follow. When we don't follow God's words, we actually cause ourselves to go astray:
"How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word." (Psalm 119:9)
Not only that, we also deceive ourselves.
"Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was." (James 1:21-24)
3) By not denying ourselves
If we long to receive and follow God's plans for us, we've got to learn to deny ourselves. The Lord Jesus said it Himself:
"Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:24-26)
"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:24-25)
