Biblical Posts

Vision vs Ambition.

I went to a Christian secondary school growing up, and that's where I heard the word, "vision" for the first time. Vision basically means a God given plan or purpose for your life. When you pray to God, asking him for what you're supposed to do for him, and he gives you a dream or goal, that's a vision. It's divine and as long as you continue to obey God's instructions, it can't go wrong.

The thing with ambition is that it's so easy to confuse it with vision. But the definitions make a clear-cut difference between them. Your ambitions are usually goals that you create. They are dreams that come from you, might have been forced on you or could've been inspired by something else. Sometimes, they can be closely linked to your God given purpose in life, and at other times they couldn't be further from the truth.

I think that's why it's always so important to pray. If you have questions about anything at all, particularly this topic that you're reading about. You should really pray about it. As God what he wants you to do, what your purpose is, and how exactly he wants you to carry it out. He might not unveil everything to you right away, but he'll definitely give you a clear answer and a point to start from.

An iconic verse that I think you should meditate on is;

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah was in doubt about his purpose too. He was wondering if he was really going to be able to deliver God's message and prophecy as God had told him too. But God told him not to be afraid, he knew the beginning from the end after all. He wouldn't have given him that purpose if he didn't think Jeremiah could handle it. The exact same principle applies to you.

I think one thing you should keep in mind while asking about your purpose is that you'll definitely be happy doing it. God doesn't seek to punish you by making you do something you'll end up hating for the rest of your life. Obviously, there'll be hitches because you won't always get things right or the issues of life might try to get in your way. You might also face burn out or stressful periods, because as you probably know, chasing your dreams isn't always easy. It determines grit and determination. But if it's your purpose, and you keep God involved every single step of the way, then everything will end up working out.

Another thing about your vision is that it shouldn't be pride-based. You shouldn't want to be something just for the fame or glory alone. God's plan for you might into involve a crazy stage or thousands of followers, it could entail being someone's life coach or teaching students so that they can grow into who they are supposed to be. It might not involve thousands of dollars and a yacht but whatever it is, you'll definitely find it satisfying. You'll know it's you'll purpose because you'll feel fulfilled. Remember that God won't call you into a place of lack, if you need anything, he'll give it to you. You just have to ask.

It can be hard to give things up to or for God. When you've nursed your ambition for so long and you realize that it isn't what God wants you to do, you'll be torn. When you realize that your purpose involves living differently or giving up a few things, it might suck. I know that being a writer isn't always easy, and I've had to learn to schedule and balance things so that there'll be enough time to get everything done.

But I've heard people give so many testimonies about how aligning their lives to God's plans has been the best decision they've ever made. They're happy and glowing, if I might add. They still have problems from time to time, but they know they'll pull through because God has their backs. And he most definitely has yours too. All you need to do is learn to trust him.

If you're worried that you can be too stubborn or that your feelings can sometimes get in the way, it's okay. It happens, and you can pray about that too. Tell God everything, he's a really good listener, I promise. Submit all your worries to him because he understands and cares for you. Ask him for his peace, because it's so good, words can't explain. You'll be okay, because you're following God's plan.

~ Anne :)