What is vision, and why is it important enough to title my entire site and

creative project “Vision Thesis?”

 

I’m so glad you asked. (Okay, yes, it’s a rhetorical question and answer.

I needed acceleration from somewhere to jump off.)

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Vision is more than mere eyesight or an idea drawn up from a creative

imagination. Vision is also the ability to use foresight and wisdom

to come up with a plan to impact and change the future.

Each of these definitions act as a metaphor to explain one another,

which means a brilliant person had vision and a knack for words to

come up with multiple meanings of the word. In fact, the word “vision”

came into existence around 1300, with the original definition of “something

seen in the imagination or in the supernatural.”

Excuse the word nerd in me, we’ll get to that later. Moving on.

 

Vision also requires conviction, passion, and commitment.

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(And usually in that order.)

 

Being convicted of something is a surreal, epiphanic, and sometimes an emotional experience—in most cases, it happens in a short period of time or even just one moment. It’s the realization that you were wrong about something, and now you not only know better, you understand why. It’s a change in perception of yourself and the world, and it starts a chain of other convictions. Because as soon as you see something differently, this new vision, per se, causes you to see everything else differently. Conviction is revelation, a new understanding, that impacts the lens through which you see everything. Conviction, if dwelt and acted upon, will drive you to not only understand differently, but to think and act and live differently.

In the spiritual sense, conviction is also the trigger pull, the inception, the very beginning of a new believer’s life, and is the first, most important step of inertia in becoming a follower of Christ. It’s through the faith–in the Word of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit in us–that convicts us to see how we’ve fallen short of His glory and how much we are in desperate need of salvation (John 3:16, Hebrews 11:1, Acts 1:8).

 

I think we all know what having passion is. It's having the drive to take action. It’s a love for something so fierce that you give it your all and it’s executed with excellence. Think of the people you know of who have a passion. It’s more than just a hobby for them. In fact, having a passion is a mindset—a mindset powerful enough to defeat imminent opposition and knock down barriers and to see you through to the end in successful accomplishment. It’s a mindset that seeks to break outside your comfort zone and do what those with no passion would deem impossible and not worth the risk.

 

Speaking of risk—taking action despite consequences of taking risks is the direct result of commitment. Anything you put a mind to will come with risk. You could go so far as to say that simply living is a risk, and every decision, no matter how small it is, comes with risk. Why? Because the future is unknown and anything we decide to do starts a chain reaction that impacts the future and brings something else to happen as a direct or indirect result. Imagine, then, the risks that come with doing something outside your comfort zone. Noncommittal people will immediately back down in the face of discomfort or inconvenience of any shape or size, letting complacency erase all areas of potential for growth. But commitment, sparked by conviction and fueled by passion, will bring you to reach your full potential of who you were created to be and to do. 

 

If you are a leader, you must have a vision to be effective in your communication in your leadership. Otherwise, the people you are stewarding have no idea what the goal of the team is. And in order for success within your team, everyone needs to know not just what they’re doing, but why they’re doing it and how it impacts the future. If you are a father or mother (probably the most important and needed job in your entire life), you must have a vision to be effective in your parenting. Otherwise, your children will grow up living lives without discipline or guidance, which leads to confusion as to what life is all about. You must have wisdom and vision as a parent, because you are directly impacting the future generation. If you are a creator, you must have a vision to clearly communicate the importance and necessity of your output—creating something with a “purpose” or “meaning” is one thing. But creating something—not just for the joy of creating—but with the goal to provide a unique perspective that could instill conviction in someone else to lead them on a path to having the same vision as well? That’s having vision. And that’s why this site exists.

 

But who were you ultimately created to be and to do? Again: I’m so very glad you asked.

 

You can’t have vision unless you’ve already been given vision of some sort.

 

Remember the word definition from the 1300s that I said we’d get to later? The etymology of words helps so much when understanding a word and applying it. In fact, I think that the original definition stands truer than any modern take on the word “vision.” I believe that it is “seeing something” “in the supernatural” as well as with the imagination; God had a vision when He created us (Genesis 1, Jeremiah 29:11). We learn that through studying the Word He gave to us and spending time in communication with Him. His vision was to create us in His image—as creators with an imagination—so that we would understand His vision for our lives: to have a relationship with Him as our Heavenly father (John 1:12, 2 Timothy 3:16, Jeremiah 29:12). God’s vision is the Bible: the word of truth. Veritas. The Word through which we understand his vision. He also gave us the tools of conviction, passion, and commitment to live for Him and to provide His vision with the rest of mankind. And this is the ultimate vision that has been given to each and every one of us, before we were born: to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God (Jeremiah 1:5, Micah 6:8). 

 

We were created to create. What will you create?

 

Everyone has a vision for their life. What are you going to do with yours?