Blurred Vision

Blurred VisionNo serious baker would make a cake and leave out the flour. No serious cook would make soup and leave out the water. There are some things that require all the ingredients if it is to be made properly. Likewise, as we are being made into a people ready to be used by God, we too must have all of the required ingredients. Just as faith is partners with works and praise is partners with prayers, so too is vision partners with values. Vision without values is like trying to be Robin without the hood, Jay without the Z or Jesus without the disciples. You don’t have to look at any of these pictures long before you realize something is missing.

 

The prophet Habakkuk in the 2nd chapter and 2nd verse of the Old Testament book that bears his name wrote, “Write the vision and make it plain so they may run that readeth it.”

When Habakkuk wrote this verse he used the Hebrew word “chazown” for vision. “Chazown” is the Hebrew word for vision. The Hebrew word for vision “chazown”, transcends somebody’s good idea to erect a building, host a meeting or start a business. “Chazown” is a deeply spiritual word to the Hebrew people. It means a “divine vision” or a “prophetic vision” from God.

Although the principle of writing the vision is applicable to any endeavor, Habakkuk is talking specifically about a vision given by God to advance His will, establish His kingdom or perform His bidding. In order to write the vision and make it plain, you must consider the beginnings, the roots, the foundation and of course, ultimately the desired outcome of your “chazown”. Until recently, deep contemplation of your “chazown” or “vision from God” was pretty normal. The considering carefully and prayerfully the essential elements of vision manifestation was a standard vision development thing to do. But we live in the most disjointed, disorganized, protocol absent Christian leadership and church culture in the history of the world. We live a Christian culture where it is possible to have vision without values, purpose without protocol, faith without works and leadership without character.

When the prophet Habakkuk said, “Write the vision and make it plain,” (Hab. 2:2) he was releasing profound wisdom about how to ensure the durability of God endeavors. The spiritual novice might be tempted to interpret his instruction as a perfunctory literary duty. But the Holy Spirit inspired words of prophet Habakkuk added an element of excellence to the charge by including the words, “make it plain”. Professional writers know that it is more than a notion to write with simplicity. Writing with clarity is a rare skill that people pay thousands of dollars to acquire and attend years and years of higher education to master. The charge to “make it plain”, isn’t just about getting the right words, in the right order down on paper. “Making it plain” is about thinking through as thoroughly as possible the purpose, mission, tasks and responsibility of the vision God has given you. Writing the vision and making it plain is about having a solid foundation to the vision God has given you. It’s about making sure your vision has roots and you understand how to nurture those roots so that they become deep, lengthy cords of faith, values, leadership and purpose.

Herein lies the greatest weakness of the emerging church of our time, “vision without values”. Vision without values is a weak and shaky construct with short roots and a shallow foundation. The only thing that is more dangerous to the church than a plethora of churches and ministries springing up that epitomize vision without values, is a generation of Christian leadership whose lives are without sound biblical core values and godly boundaries to their character. This is not the rant of an old preacher harping upon a few isolated situations. The absence of sound biblically-centric thought and behavior among the new millennium generation of Christian leadership is embarrassingly pervasive. An intervention is desperately needed. I pray that God raise up righteous anointed reformers who will call the Body of Christ back to order, soundness and spiritual health.

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Pastor Joe Flores
Founding & Senior Pastor: Perfecting Saints Church
Jer.1:12b "...I will hasten my word to perform it."