‘Vision’ is one of those subjects that can be easy to discuss at great length. We know that we’re supposed to live our lives with vision, and to have some sort of a clear understanding of what kind of person we are and what we want to do with our time here on earth.

Given that, why do we struggle so badly to have a clear vision, or even one at all? Why is it that the approach to having a vision for something, and putting it into action, is so simple, yet seemingly so hard to attain? Do our circumstances dominate over our ability to live out vision? Is seeing vision come to life something that must happen despite our circumstances?

I think the best way we can find the answers we truly need to such profound questions is to approach this from two angles:

1. See what God’s word has to say about vision, and come to a conclusion on what God’s will is for us.

2. Look at some examples out there of people that have had vision for something great and have seen it come to pass, then study their life like a recipe of how to have vision and, most importantly, how we can see it come to life.

Ultimately, deep down, this is what we truly desire isn’t it? To be used by God for His glory, to be a representative for Christ every single day, no matter where we go, or who we meet along the way.

So, what does scripture have to say about having vision? Well, Proverbs 29:18 outlines quite clearly: “Where there is no vision, the people cast o restraint, but happy is he who keeps the law”.

Now, to cast o restraint quite literally means to be ungovernable, or to be someone who cannot be reined in. So what is the Bible talking about when it says ‘vision’ here in this verse? Well, the New King James Translation replaces the word ‘vision’ with the word ‘revelation’, so the verse now reads: “Where there is no revelation the people cast o restraint”. Now we see the meaning of this verse starting to take shape, so let’s go really deep into this for a second and see how this changes the way we view what vision truly is.

“Vision”, or prophecy in its widest sense, is the revelation of God’s will, which directs the course of events. The prophets were the instructors of the people in divine things, standing witnesses of the truth and power of religion, who taught a higher morality than that of mere humans. The fatal effect of the absence of such revelation of God’s will is stated to be confusion, disorder, and rebellion; the people, uncontrolled, fall into sin, which nothing but high principles can restrain. They quite literally perish.