Why Vision? Why Purpose?

“At a simple level, a Visionary has a vision or a big dream – articulates it with clarity, so people get it. Expresses it with passion so people get excited about it, and I think a true Visionary invites and inspires others to join them. They get that they don’t do it alone”.

–Marcia Weider, CEO, Dream University

In the recent past, I have had to start critically re-evaluating the direction of my life. If you have followed my posts, you will notice that I have written about ‘The Most Important Thing’, ‘Creating Your own Revolution’, ‘What to do when Given an Impossible Task’, ‘What Would I do if I were to Start Over’, and finally, ‘Six Perfect Instances to call it Quits’.

These messages are not for my audience…they are for me. My wife and I have come to that level where we are no longer interested in a life that is made up of ‘believing for one pressing need to another’…there has got to be more to life than this. Frankly, I not interested in a life that is led to solely acquire assets on earth. I have realized that that is a flimsy way of leading a life given the preciousness of life bestowed to us by our Maker.

Get me straight. This is not super-spirituality. This is simply a matter of perspective as well as a matter of priority. Remember the proverbial genie? Let me replace him with the Almighty God: If God were to ask me to ask Him for just one thing today, what do you think I would ask for? What would you ask for?

• Would you ask for money?
• Would you ask for a home/house?
• Would you ask for a job?
• Would you ask for a family?
• Would you ask for wisdom like Solomon?

I would ask for vision and Purpose.

Why Vision?

Because I believe that our sights have been dulled by the worries and cares of the now that vision has been lost. Now, I am not talking about personal vision, which is extremely powerful in itself. I am talking about God’s vision for my life. When he was making me, what was he seeing me do?

It is possible to live a whole life time without this vision. I think anything sought and done on earth that is not reconciled to this vision is totally meaningless in the end.

Why Purpose?

Why are we still alive today? I have escaped two fatal accidents in a space of one week, I have been bedridden several times, walked barefoot for quarter of my life infested with jiggers, come to crossroads of my life several times…but I am still alive. For what purpose? Surely there must be a reason. There must be a purpose for my existence. Right?

If a life is stripped of all things acquired, it would still be a powerful and impactful life to live if Vision and Purpose were intact. However, if these two were stripped off of my life and I had everything else, it would be one of the most meaningless of lives lived.

Yet daily, we find ourselves bogged down with ‘other things’, pressing needs and desires of comfort…our whole lives are centered around that dimension. Again, I am not saying that these things are bad and useless, I am saying that they should not be first and pre-eminent above vision and purpose.

Remember when Jesus said, “Man shall not live on bread alone…”? The word ‘alone’ indicates that bread is needed but most importantly, the Vision and the Purpose of God over a life should come first.

This kind of reasoning is not popular these days. “What will vision and purpose add to my table today?” One might ask.

• How about house rent?
• How about School fees for my children?
• How about paying all my bills?
• Will I feed on Vision?

You see, all these things are ‘pressing needs’. They are not life! The way vision and purpose works is like the way a seed for a great tree does. It has to be planted, watered, pruned and taken care of probably for years before the fruits show up. These fruits are not just for you and your family, but for your world, and to some extent, for the world.

No doubt, one of the biggest keywords in personal development is Vision. God said that without a vision, people perish. Let me add that without a vision, Individuals perish.

Let me ask you this: If God were to stand before you and ask you to ask him for anything and it will be granted…what would you ask?