Receiving a God Given Vision

God has built every person with this desire to know that there life has purpose. One of the best selling books of all times is called "The Purpose Driven Life." This book was writing about this very topic. As I teach and mentor many people I have found a couple of things that are true when is comes to the topic of purpose and vision.

1. Everyone has this desire to find there place or identity in life.

2. Most people have no idea how to.

When Jesus looked at the crowds of people He said, "They are like sheep without a shepherd." Jesus was able to be the most impacting leader of all time because He first knew his purpose, and knew how to help other people find theirs. God has called us to be the kind of leader that carry life and hope with us. The best way to empower or provide hope in someone's life is to help them discover there purpose. Below I have laid out some steps from Matthew 9 &10 that will equip you to show your students and friends how to get a vision for their life. It may also be the key to taking your leadership to a new level. Take your time and think through each one of these steps and let the Holy Spirit give you revelation.

1. When you don't know what to do. Take initiative to obey and get active in serving in the Kingdom of God. 

- "Jesus went about all the cities and villages..." (v.9:35)

2. Communicate the truth that you already have.

"... teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom" (v.9:35)

3. Observe the reality of the Human Condition

"But when he saw the multitudes..." (v.9:36)

4. Allow God to burden you with a specific need.

"He was moved with compassion for them, because they were... like sheep having no shepherd" (v. 9:36)

5. See a divine diagnosis. What is the issue to be resolved?

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few" (v. 9:37)

6. Pray to determine what action could meet the need.

"Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest" (9:38)

7. Choose a team and empower them for partnership.

"And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power..." (v. 10:1)

8.  Take immediate action toward the fulfillment of the vision.

"These twelve Jesus sent out..." (v.10:5)

This passage of scripture is truly amazing.  I think it is pivotal that we understand Jesus never thought about trying to fulfill the vision by Himself. See Jesus understood that anything worth doing was going to be bigger than himself. We have got to dream God sizes dreams that are going to stretch our leadership and cause us to put our faith in God to be the provision for the vision. Let us all enter into this new year asking the Holy Spirit to take us through this process of committing our lives to the call and God's vision.  This is the life Jesus has called us to, it is a life lived by faith. 

- P. Jesse