The book of Revelation is a fascinating book. There are amazing depictions, convicting letters, and glimpses of heavenly creatures. Many people read Revelation to find signs they can identify of when Jesus will return, but the primary purpose of Revelation is not to allow us to pinpoint the hour of Judgement Day, but rather to give hope to a near hopeless people.

As the vision of Revelation was given to John, the church was under persecution. Christians weren’t just under threat of being teased or discriminated against, they were under threat of death. It was looking pretty bleak for the church, so God gave the church a vision of the future. The basic message of the book is, “I know it may look bad and even get worse, but God wins in the end. Jesus is victorious and those who have faith in Him will join in His victory.”

The above passage from Revelation 21 is poignant. It told the Christians of Jesus day and still us today where we are headed. We are headed to heaven and it’s going to be awesome. What a beautiful picture it paints for us.

Why Vision is Important
Without vision, we wander aimlessly and our commitment may falter. Why should we endure hardship or even death for our faith? It’s because there is a new heaven and earth coming and it’s amazing. You will live with God Himself. With vision we have purpose and direction. We can run (rather than wander) towards the prize. We can endure hardship and pain. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

There are different levels of vision. Heaven is the part of our vision that is likely distant, like the background of a painting or what is implied just beyond the edge of the piece. God has plans for us with a much shorter range. This vision is like the foreground of the painting. When it’s clear and in focus, it drives us.

The Church
For a church, vision is just as important. Without it everyone goes in their own direction and little is accomplished. With it the people work as one  moving in a single direction. Without vision, people lose hope when things don’t go as planned and they start to lose their commitment shortly after. With vision people can see past the immediate issues and focus on goal.

What is your vision? Where are you headed? Certainly we look forward to living in heaven with Jesus, but our vision can and should be much closer range. If you are not sure, seek God. Pray about it.

This is true for the church as well. What is your churches vision? If you are not sure, this is something worth exploring together with the rest of your church so that you can move forward as one, growing in the faith and reaching those who do not know Jesus, yet.

Heavenly Father,

Show us Your ways and teach us Your path. Reveal to us the vision of Your church. Show me Your vision for my life. May I walk in that vision and may you lead my church into a vision that is faithful in serving one another and proclaiming the gospel.

Amen