What’s Your Life Vision?

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 11:27-36.  Let’s go!

Luke 11:27-32 (NIV) 
²⁷  As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”
²⁸  He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
²⁹  As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.
³⁰  For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation.
³¹  The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.
³²  The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.

On verses 27-32:  There are a number of important lessons we can learn from this passage.  I look forward to sharing them with you  today.

Luke 11:33-36 (NIV)
³³  “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.
³⁴  Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness.
³⁵  See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness.
³⁶  Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you.”

On verses 33-36:  Once my optometrist told me that you can measure the health of a person’s entire body just by looking at their eyes.  Her statement reminded me of what Jesus says in verse 34:  “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness.”

By talking about “your eyes” Jesus is talking not just about your physical vision.  Even more Jesus is talking about your spiritual vision, your outlook on life, the vision you have for your future.  Jesus is saying that your spiritual vision affects (and reflects) the health of your entire life.  If you have a healthy, inspiring vision for your life, your entire life (“your whole body”) will tend to be healthy (“full of light” “completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on it” (v36)).  But if you have an unhealthy vision, a depressing vision or no vision at all, your entire life will be negatively affected (“your body also is full of darkness”).  That’s why it is crucial to have the right vision for your life.  As Proverbs 29:18 says, “When there is no vision, the people perish”.  Verse 35 (“See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness”) suggests to me that we often need to be checking to see whether our vision is “not darkness”, that it is in line with God’s plan for our lives.

So what does a healthy, inspiring spiritual vision look like?  It’s about having a vision that is centered on Jesus Christ and His purposes for your life.  That’s why we describe the vision of THRIVE Church the way we do.  See our vision statement HERE: https://www.thrivechurch.ca/who-we-are.  Notice that our vision is really all about Jesus: to worship Him (Alive), to grow more like Him (Expectant), to serve Him with our talents (Involved), to lead others to Him (Outloud), and to love the church He gave us (United).  I really believe that AEIOU is not just God’s vision for our church, but it is God’s vision for your own life personally, such that no matter what your occupation, background or even if you move to a country far away from Vancouver, God’s vision for your life will always be that you would be alive and worship Jesus, expectant and grow more like Him, involved and serve Him with your time and talents, out loud and lead others to Him, and united by loving your church family.

Like a lamp that is lighted and meant to be placed on a stand and not hidden, I believe God made you to be someone with a healthy, inspiring, God-given vision for your life so that you could bless others (“so that those who come in may see the light” – v33).  You can thus be completely lighted such that God’s light shines on you to the maximum.

Heavenly Father, thank You for showing me through Jesus’ words that You made me to be someone with a vision from You for my life.  Thank You hat when I have a healthy, inspiring, God-centered vision for my life, not only will I be completely lighted but that Your light will shine through me to those around me.  May I never forget the AEIOU vision for my life: the vision of being alive and worshiping Jesus, expectant and growing more like Him, involved and serving God, out loud and leading others to Jesus, and united with my church family.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!