Time to make the donuts!

Vision teaches us the ‘why’ behind the ‘what.’  Lose vision and motivation dies.  The lead guy on the crew that installed the new boiler at our church last week wasn’t just putting pipes together. He was building something in which he took pride. He had vision for his work and it is evident in the quality work he left behind. He showed up with enthusiasm, a smile on his face, and a readiness to do the work.   Are you like Fred, the baker, the star of the old “Dunkin’ Donuts” ads who was up before dawn heading out the door because it was ‘time to make the donuts?’  Somehow you knew he was pushing himself out the door, that making donuts was a job to which he was faithful, but for which he was not terrifically enthused.  

  

I pace myself through the routines of church business,  doing the invisible chores that maintain the organization, gladly because they support the vision God gave me. My vision is not to maintain a building, however. It is to build a community of people who make a noticeable difference for the Lord Jesus in our corner of the world! If I lose sight of the bigger mission, (and there are those days) the tedium can become overwhelming. Then I realize I need to look up, to catch another glimpse of that glorious Church that my Lord Jesus will find worthy of commendation. I believe whole-heartedly that the only hope for this world is the Gospel of Jesus Christ; a message that transforms people into amazing saints, infuses life with purpose and meaning, and lets us live in the promise of eternal life. I want as many people as possible to hear that good news, to experience the love of Christ, and that is the vision that keeps me going!

·         Friend, do you know the 'why' behind the 'what' in your life?

·         Is there a God-given vision that draws you to love God with devotion?

·         Do you have vision for your family, your church, your daily vocation, your neighborhood, your financial management…. Yes, for all of life?

Some of you are thinking, "Yeah, Jerry, I've heard this hype before. My 'vision' is just to hang on one more day. Mostly I feel like Fred, the baker and it’s just time to make the donuts”  

If that’s you, take charge now. Stop letting life lead you and make a decision to become a person who lives ‘on purpose.’ Hit the pause button. Take a day off and spend it in prayer, not in front of the TV!  Invite God, the Holy Spirit, to renew your understanding that you "are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:10, NLT) God is purposeful. God is concerned about you and able to use you - but you must make yourself available and let Him mature the vision in you. Borrow the prayer that little Samuel prayed in the dark when the voice of the Lord echoed through his heart - "Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening." (1 Samuel 3:9, NIV) When he prayed, God showed him a plan and then the boy worked and waited faithfully on that plan for years - in the process becoming a key person in Israel. Invite Him to speak, then wait for the answer.

Here's a word from the Word for you today.  "Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer in large, clear letters on a tablet, so that a runner can read it and tell everyone else. 

But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. 

“Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked; but the righteous will live by their faith." (Habakkuk 2:2-4, NLT)
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I'm pressing on the upward way,
New heights I'm gaining every day;
Still praying as I'm onward bound,
"Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."

Lord, lift me up and let me stand
By faith on heaven's table-land,
A higher plane than I have found:
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I'll pray, 'til heaven I've found
"Lord, lead me on to higher ground."

Higher Ground - Johnson Oatman, Jr.
Public Domain