Run With Your Vision by John Belt
Run With Your Vision and Invest Yourself in Eternal Treasures
Our lives are filled with opportunities every day to sow into eternal reward. All of us want to enter into that day with joy to hear Jesus say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" When we get to Heaven we want to see the eternal treasures that we have been storing up. We don't want to see our heavenly vault empty.
The Spirit Inspires
2 Corinthians 3:5-6 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
The law kills but the Spirit gives life or inspires us. Many people try to accomplish God's desires through keeping the law, creating new laws or just trying to keep a list of "to dos" to please God. This never works. Others are so afraid of missing God that they never do anything at all. Their perception of God is that He will punish them if they miss it on anything. Most people in "church circles" have heard it said, "Brother, you better make sure that is God before you do anything. You don't want to do anything in your flesh."
Maybe you just had an inspired idea or finally got motivated to do something in the Kingdom and then someone decides to give you their most holy opinion. Instead of being blessed by what God is showing you to do there is an attempt to shut it down.
Our Perception of God
Matthew 25:24-26 Then he who had received the one talent came and said, "Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours." But his lord answered and said to him, "You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed."
Our perception of God will make us or break us. If we don't see God for who He really is then everything that we do or don't do in life will be the result of our view of Him. One view that religion can hold of God is that He is a "hard man." If we believe that God is "hard" on us and others, we will be the same. This view of God brings an expectation of "punishment" if we miss it with God. This is what has happened with many Christians. Because of this, they end up doing nothing at all; they become lazy, self-consumed and cannot see any bigger than themselves. They cannot take on a "Kingdom Mindset" because they are so worried they will blow it, miss it and God will punish them for it. Notice that "the Lord of this servant," who is a picture of God, did not excuse his fear but called him a "wicked and lazy servant." Fear produces laziness because it just makes you want to hide away somewhere. God is good.
Don't Bury What God Has Given You
Matthew 7:11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
God has given all of us "talents," whether they be spiritual, natural or all of the above. God has given us the gift of life. Don't waste it! Don't bury it. Seek the Lord. Get a vision from God and step out to do something with it. Don't be like the wicked and lazy servant who can't see beyond himself – and how God is going to punish him for missing it. We must get a vision for things that are bigger than ourselves and require God to accomplish them. If you can do it yourself you don't need the Lord to help. We want Him involved. That is why we should always dream big beyond our natural abilities.
Sow to the Spirit
There are no limitations to us in God's Kingdom. He has put an unlimited potential within us by His Spirit. Don't think about what you can't do. Think about what you can do through Christ. Every day there are multiplied opportunities to "sow to the Spirit." In your actions, your words, your creativity, your worship, your meditation, your prayers, your decrees, your communion, you can sow to the Spirit and experience a place in God of absolutely no limitations. They key is in continually sowing to the Spirit and reaping the life of the Spirit.
Get your vision and run!
John Belt
Live In His Presence Ministries
