Nugget from New Life Network
(by Dr. Larry Ollison)
Scripture for the Day (February 9 , 2016)
Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. (2 Corinthians 8:11)
When God imparts His destiny into your heart, it becomes a dream that burns with energy. As enthusiasm builds and you share your dream with your family and friends, many times you will discover that they do not share the same excitement.
In Genesis 37:5, the Bible says that Joseph had a dream. He told it to his brothers and the result was they hated him. But the truth is, where there is no dream or vision, there are no accomplishments. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (KJV). People may hate you because of your dream. It may appear that the resources needed to accomplish your dream are unavailable. But regardless of these things, if God has given you a vision, He expects you to accomplish it. Once the vision is given, the responsibility is in the hands of the receiver to move forward with it while continuing to look to God for guidance, help, strength, and whatever else is needed to accomplish it.
One of the saddest things I have ever seen is a person without a vision for their life aimlessly wandering from project to project, job to job, church to church, and never accomplishing anything. If you want to do something for God, you must have a vision. What’s even sadder is to see someone who has a vision do this. A vision is worthless unless it comes to pass and sadly, too many people allow their vision to drift into obscurity and die.
Years ago I knew a young man who constantly told everyone of his desires for life. His plans were big. His goals were high. His vision was lofty. But there was one problem. As the years passed, all he did was talk, and as he aged, he developed new methods of sharing his old vision, always explaining how it was going to be done, but never applying himself and getting started.
Recently, he passed away and when they closed the lid on his coffin, they also closed the lid on his vision. You may ask, “Why didn’t he accomplish his vision in life? If God gave him a plan for his life, certainly he must have had the ability to do it.” Well, the answer to that question is quite simple. It’s impossible to cross the finish line if you never show up for the race. It doesn’t matter how much you prepare. It doesn’t matter how much you plan. It doesn’t matter how many people are cheering for you on the sidelines. If you never start the race, you will never finish the race.
So here’s the point. If God has given you a vision or a dream, He has also equipped you to accomplish it. Because He has given you the talents and abilities by way of His grace to do the tasks, all that remains is the doing. In the Book of James we are told that faith without works is dead (James 2:26). Well, so is a vision! Take the vision God has given you and step out in faith. Even if you don’t see the resources required to accomplish your calling, they are there. God never sends His soldiers into battle without the proper weapons and armor.
So this message is quite simple. Take your God-given assignment, the dream He has given you, and do
it.
“The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry our their dream.” (Les Brown)
