Do We Have a Vision of Goodness?

Proverbs 29:18 
 
Are we focused just on what and who is inside our church doors? Or are we looking, searching and sharing what we have with others so that they may come in?

In this context, vision alludes to the disclosure (prophesy) that the prophets would obtain from God. Where there is obliviousness of God, sin and crime go out of control. The public moral compass of society relies upon the knowing God’s directions, yet it likewise relies upon individuals keeping God’s laws. All together for nations and people to work and function well, individuals should know God's methodologies and keep his standards.

How are people to have vision? By not walking in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standing with them, but by delighting in God’s Word and meditating on it every day.

• Psalm 1:1-2, Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

 
We should avoid the relationship of taunting sinners, in order for us to acquire the joy of the Lord. We should similarly search for an understanding of God through His Word.

We can sort out some way to follow God by reading and thinking (meditating) about God’s Word. Thinking about what we read suggests contributing energy examining and mulling over what we have read. It suggests asking ourselves how we should change so we live as God desires. Knowing and pondering God’s Word are the underlying pushes toward applying it to our regular routines. To follow God significantly and more eagerly, we ought to understand what he is saying to us.
 
What does it mean to have no vision?
Having no vision could mean that someone cannot physically see with their eyes. That means that the person is blind, and blindness is being in the dark. If a person is blind, then that person may need to be guided by someone else, meaning that they must have help to walk around and they may need help with their daily living routine. Some people may have eyesight, but their eyesight is so bad that the eyes do not work well, their eyes cannot focus clearly, and prescription eyewear does not help.
 
Individual vision:
Spiritually speaking, individual vision is a person’s own understanding of the Word of God. During the time of the judges, no prophets were speaking God’s messages. Some refused to listen to God, which allowed greed to get in the way. However, listening and responding is necessary for a relationship with God. We must be ready to listen and to act.
 
Church vision:
Church vision is based upon the local church assembly or church body. Church vision should include reach the lost people, those that do not know Christ as their Savior. Church vision should include caring for the people reached. Church vision should include training fellow believers and getting people to work.

• Mark 16:15, And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
• Acts 20:28, Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
• Ephesians 4:12, For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
• Ephesians 6:7, With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

 
A church without a vision is never going to grow.

• Proverbs 11:27, He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him.

 
It has been said that the people who look for problems are certain to track them down. It is similarly a fact that the people who honestly look for the good in life will find it. In the everlasting sense, this is in every case a valid truth. The people who really want to know and comprehend God will acknowledge him in confidence. The individuals who reject Him will, at last, be in a condition of timeless ruination.

• Matthew 7:7-8, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
• Matthew 6:33, But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
• Matthew 25:41, Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
• Matthew 25:46, And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

 
In the event that we search for the positive qualities in others’ daily routines or look for ways of improving their lives, we will obtain favor from both God and man. Nevertheless, those who search for trouble will obtain misery or misfortune. The farmer who keeps his grain to sell it at indecent costs when the public's need is precarious will fall into the public’s disapproval. But the opposite is true if he were to respond in a positive common decency manner. Those that previously disapproved of the farmer would in turn will respect him assuming that he sells without any considered delay until he can correct a more exorbitant cost.

• Proverbs 11:26, He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.

 
Since Jesus consistently did what satisfied his Father, we read in Luke 2:52, “and Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” His quest for the things of God brought him into goodness. Caleb was eighty-five when he asked for the hill nation of Hebron as his legacy, and Joshua allowed Caleb's solicitation since he “wholly followed the Lord God of Israel” (Joshua 14:6-14). Psalm 84:11 states, “No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Troublemakers can anticipate just a burden as the regular outcome of their abhorrent mentality and activities.

• Proverbs 17:11, An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.
• Proverbs 10:32, The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.
• Proverbs 6:12, A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.
• Proverbs 12:10, A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

 
In the business realm:
Vision Statement: (Desired End-State) A one-sentence statement describing the clear and inspirational long-term desired change resulting from an organization or program’s work.

The vision statement is the inspiration and the framework for all the strategic planning. What we are doing when creating a vision statement is articulating the dreams and hopes for the business. A vision statement for an organization or association centers around the potential intrinsic in the organization's future; it is with regards to what they expect to be. It is the anchor point to the company strategic plan. It outlines what that organization would like to achieve.

There is an old church hymnal song, “Bring Them In”
Hark! ‘Tis the Shepherd’s voice I hear,
Out in the desert dark and drear,
Calling the sheep who’ve gone astray,
Far from the Shepherd’s fold away.
 
Bring them in, bring them in,
Bring them in from the fields of sin.
Bring them in, bring them in,
Bring the wandering ones to Jesus.
 
Who’ll go and help this Shepherd kind,
Help Him the wandering ones to find?
Who’ll bring the lost ones to the fold,
Where they’ll sheltered from the cold?
 
Bring them in, bring them in,
Bring them in from the fields of sin.
Bring them in, bring them in,
Bring the wandering ones to Jesus.
 
Out in the desert hear their cry,
Out on the mountains wild and high.
Hark! ‘Tis the Master speaks to thee,
“Go find My sheep where’er they be.”
 
Bring them in, bring them in,
Bring them in from the fields of sin.
Bring them in, bring them in,
Bring the wandering ones to Jesus.
 
 
So, with those thoughts in mind, what is the vision of the individual Christian? What is the vision of the local church body or even globally for that matter? Does the church have a vision to see souls saved? Does the church have a vision to win the lost? Or is the church only focusing on building the church building bigger to house more people? Is the church looking to grow in physical numbers rather than in spiritual numbers? Are members of the church too busy trying to line their own pockets or to make sure that the local church body is “feeling well” instead of looking to bring others to Christ?