Why We Can’t Afford to Loose Our Vision

And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded. Matthew 10:42

It was late in the evening and I was exhausted from the stress of the day, I really just wanted to get in bed and read a good book. Except one of the children kept getting out of bed and I’d had it! If she got out of bed one more time, I was going to give her some serious consequences. Before I knew it I heard footsteps coming down the steps and I was about to let loose until I heard the still small voice of the Holy Spirit reminding me of this verse, “if you give even a cup of cold water…”

But, Lord, I have given a cup of water. Four at each meal alone today, that’s 12 in one day, 84 in one week, 336 in a week, and 4,032 cups of water in an entire year.

 Is that not enough, Lord?

I was sure it was, but God in His sovereignty revealed a window of my heart, a false belief I had begun to believe— that doing the bare minimum to get by without my heart being connected to His, was not enough. I was going through the motions without the heart connection. I was missing the point.

I was missing His invitation to co-labor with Him in the spirit.

Every dish cleaned, every piece of laundry folded, every meal made, and every band aid placed seemed like enough. Compassion and kindness toward my children dwindled months ago and I was just going through the motions. I was edgy and irritable most days. Mothering had become a chore rather than a joy.

When we have lost our vision, we begin to put unrealistic expectations on ourselves and our children. Unrealistic expectations leave us not only exhausted, disappointed, and joyless, but also steals our reward.

I had lost my vision. Admitting I don’t have it all together makes me feel weak and less of spiritual mom in some sense. Yet I know I am not the only mom who is wrestling with these same feelings. This has propelled me to write, knowing vision restored will bring hope to a weary soul.

“Hope deferred makes the heart-sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life” Proverbs 13:12.

It is easier to just go through the motions—so we don’t have to face the reality of disappointment if it doesn’t work out. I don’t think we necessarily intend to go through the motions, but it comes with the challenge of being a mother.

See, there is a war going on between good and evil. Yes, Jesus sits on the throne in victory. We can rest in the truth of knowing all has been accomplished. He triumphed over evil and we have the upper hand. Yet, the enemy is sneaky and tricky and loves for us to think we have no power over our situations.

If he steals our vision, he can steal our children.

I know it seems weighty but we are in a battle. There is no time for sleeping. We cannot afford to slack off and sleep on the job. Our children’s souls are at stake. The world around us is at stake.

As I shake myself awake to this reality, I also shake my fellow mothers awake. Not only mothers but I hear the Lord longing to restore vision to all the weary and hopeless. No matter what season of life you are in vision will always bring purpose.

Seek Him and He will restore your vision for the future.

We were made for this!!

Created for a purpose. Created to shape the next generation. It is no small task and requires great vision. It requires linking arms with each other and holding each other up when we feel our legs are too weak to stand alone.

It’s being real and transparent letting others know you need help.

Vision turns the ordinary into the extraordinary.

It breathes purpose into each and every moment. Knowing God is fitting all the pieces together for good. Knowing He is working behind the scenes when we can’t see and it seems foggy.

If we saw what we did on a daily basis in the spirit world, we may respond differently. We may begin to seek out God’s plan for our family and lives.  We may begin to see the mundane as a chance to partner with God. We may put weight to our actions and responses. We may pray before we respond instead of just reacting.

Vision restores hope where hope has been lost.

In Andy Stanley’s book, Visioneering:

Visions are born in the soul of a man or woman who is consumed with the tension between what is and what could be. Vision gives significance to the otherwise meaningless details our lives. And let’s face it, much of what we do doesn’t appear to matter much when evaluated apart from some larger context or purpose. Vision provided motivation. The mundane begins to matter. Maybe the most practical advantage of a vision is it set a direction for our lives, it prioritizes our values, it translated into purpose, and it evokes emotions.

Immerse yourself in God and begin to write out a vision. Ask Him for a verse and word for this NOW season. Ask Him for fresh grace to co-labor with Him. And get ready for Him to bless the socks off you and to open doors of opportunity.