MINISTER’S BLOG —
Where there is no vision, the people perish. ~ Proverbs 29:18 ~
Each January comes with a major theme: close the door on the past and open it again to new hope for the future. The New Year enters with an air of fresh possibilities. It jogs us into setting a new vision for our lives. We resolve to do things differently this year and then energetically charge forward with renewed hope and great expectations. We plan to succeed, but often we do not.
It is estimated that by March only one person in five will still be keeping his/her New Year’s resolutions. Why? Very likely, it is because our resolutions are vague hopes or wishes instead of clear visions with identifiable goals.
Michael de Montaigne said, “No wind favors the one who has no destined port.” If we want to end up in a certain place, we must consciously choose our destination and consistently hold a vision of arriving there. Vague hoping and wishing will not do it.
Jesus had a compelling, God-given vision, which gave him his divine purpose to bring the message of the Christ to all people. His purpose led to a burning enthusiasm for all people to realize the Christ potential within them. He was fully committed to the purpose of fulfilling this vision and allowed it to drive every decision he made. It gave direction to his thoughts, words and actions.
He was focused on doing what he knew he came to do to the extent that he let go of everything that did not support fulfilling his mission, such as excess material possessions. It would have been an easy decision for him, not because he disapproved of owning things, but because he had no time to devote to “stuff management.” It would not have supported his vision and or have been helpful to his purpose, so he simply did not do it. He just as easily took firm hold of those things that did support his vision and purpose, such as prayer and building a support team of twelve disciples. He was master at knowing when to say “yes” and when to say “no”—what to let into his life and what to shut out in order to stay on track with his vision.
The process Jesus taught and modeled is simple. Say, “yes” to what you want: everything that supports your purpose and “no” to what you do not want: everything that does not support your purpose. Keep only what serves your compelling, God-given vision and your divine purpose. Quickly release the rest: ideas, habits, attitudes, possessions, relationships, beliefs—everything. To do otherwise will only divert you from your purpose and take the energy you need to move forward with your vision. This principle is the same today for both individuals and organizations.
I invite you to try it in your personal life and discover the power of a well-honed vision and the practice of saying “yes” and “no” based on whether or not a choice supports your vision. It is amazing how quickly we begin to realize our greatest dreams when we translate every choice through whether or not it supports our vision.
This year UDB will be working deeply with the idea of translating every decision through our mission and vision, as we plug into the 2020 Unity Worldwide theme of Perfect Vision: Seeing 20/20 Through a Spiritual Lens. No doubt there will be changes, movement and new opportunities on the horizon for our spiritual community. Your Board of Trustees will share at the annual meeting on Sunday, February 2, how they envision this unfolding.