Living with Vision

Tonight, I went to 'Big Wednesday', the mid-week service held by my church, Jesus Lifehouse International Church. Our senior pastor, Pastor Rod, talked about vision, a quality that is essential for all leaders. No-one follows a leader who has no vision for where they are heading. The Bible says that without vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18), or in other words, without a vision, people lose their destiny because they live without direction or restraint. But WITH vision, people live motivated, focused, influential lives. I don't know whether you have a vision for your life, but know that for me it has been so important to have a vision for where I am going, and to be part of a fantastic church to which I can link that vision and work together with other members of my Christian family to see my, our, the church's and GOD's vision realised in Japan.

So many of the people I most admire and who most inspire me have been visionaries, living for something greater than themselves, focussed on others and driven to make a positive difference in the world. People like Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Theresa, William Wilberforce. These people dreamt big, impossible dreams, but because they had a vision and held on to it in times of challenge and hardship, they were able to overcome and make a huge, lasting impact in the lives of millions.

In my case, God gave me a vision of Japan many years ago. When He dropped the idea of Japan into my mind, I had no connection with Japan whatsoever - I had never been to Japan, had no Japanese friends and had no particular interest in Japan at all. I hadn't even been overseas, and thought that the USA would be the first country I would visit. It was literally a case of waking up one morning during my initial university days and suddenly thinking "I'm really interested in going to Japan". At the time, I didn't understand the why, I just knew that I needed to go. But now, 15 years later, I finally realise that it was God planting a vision. I am so grateful that He has given me a vision and a passion for Japan, both of which continue to drive me forward in tough times. I don't know all the specifics of the vision for my life, but I know that it is greater than and outside myself and therefore is going to be seeing positive change in others' lives, as well as being the best, most fulfilling life I can live.