The Power of Vision
Vision is defined by Cambridge English Dictionary as ‘an idea or the mental image of something.’ In this article, vision refers to the written or mental picture of our desired lives or of how our lives should be.
The Bible(all Bible references are from the King James Version) declared in Habakkuk 2: 2-3 as follows:
‘2 And the lord answered me, and said, write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
3. 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.’
From the above scripture, God commanded us to have vision for our lives. And such vision will come to pass sooner or later as long as we keep pursuing it.
God commanded us in Habakkuk 2 to have vision for our lives because God himself operates based on his vision. When you read Genesis 1, you will realize that before God created the entire universe, first and foremost, God had clear mental picture of everything he wanted to create. For instance, before God created man, in Genesis 1: 26, God expressed his vision of man as follows:
’26 And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the Fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth and over Every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.’ (Underlining mine for emphasis)
After expressing his vision of man, God proceeded and made man in his image and likeness and gave man dominion, according to the vision of man expressed in Genesis 1:26. Thus, Genesis 1: 27-28 record as follows:
’27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, Male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them and said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.’
Everything that God eventually created was good because everything was created according to the vision of God.
The Bible makes us to unbderstand that we are created in the image and likeness of God. See Genesis 1:26 quoted above. Since we are created in the image and likeness of God, we are designed to operate based on our vision(s), just like God operates based on his vision. Joseph knew that as a person created in the image and likeness of God, he was designed to operate based on his vision. That was why Joseph repeatedly had clear mental picture of how his life should be. Thus, Genesis 37:5-7, 9 record as follows:
‘5. And Joseph dream a dream and he told it to his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
6. And he said unto them, hear I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
7. For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, My sheave arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your Sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
9. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, behold I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.’
From the above, Joseph had the vision of becoming a great ruler. In order for his brethren who hated him to eliminate his vision, they sold Joseph into slavery. See Genesis 37:28
The power of vision is such that it propels the owner of the vision to become and/or make whatever he or she repeatedly imagines. Because of his vision to be a great ruler, even as a slave in Egypt, Joseph rose to become the ruler of his master’s (Potiphar’s) house. See Genesis 39:4. Also as a prisoner, Joseph became ruler in prison; Genesis 39:22-23. And to crown it up, Joseph rose to become a prime minister of Egypt and thereby fully realizing his vision in spite of the heartbreaking obstacles he faced. Thus, Genesis 41: 39-41 states as follows: ’39. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, for as much as God had shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 40. Thou shall be over my house, and according unto thy word shall All my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou
41. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, see I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.’
The vision of a man ultimately determines his destiny. In order for Abraham to become the father of Nations, God took him out to an open place and asked him to view and count the stars. See Genesis 15: 5. And God confirmed to Abraham that his decendants shall be as numerous as the stars he had counted.
Everything that we see in the physical world today is either a product of the vision of God or a product of the vision of men:
The Wright brothers had the vision of the Airplane and finally invented it. The cars, the phones, the houses, clothes, electricity, etcetera are all products of the vision of men.
Let me conclude this write-up with three key points, to wit:
Where there is no vision, the people perish. See Provs. 29:18 People without vision perish because they do not know where they are going. It is trite that if you do not know where you are going, you can never get there. But if you know where you are going, soon or later, you will find a way to get there.
Akogwu Egene, Esq. is a legal practitioner from Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached at [email protected]
- Firstly, God designed us to operate based on our vision;
- Secondly, God commanded us to have vision for our lives;
- And thirdly, for our lives to make meaning, we must have written or clear mental picture of how our lives should be.