God's Vision or My Dream?

How Do I Distinguish Between a God-Given Vision and A Self-Generated Dream?

"Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint," Proverbs 29:18. Vision has been defined as a God given picture of His future. Vision is seeing what could and should be rather than what is and shouldn't be. And more than ever God's people need God's vision for their lives.

John Piper, (desiringgod.org) the Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN, is a self-described Christian Hedonist and states that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. A God-given vision is obtained as we go hard after God. When we are recieving God's vision into our lives we are delighting and satisfying ourselves in Him. The Psalmist stated it like this, Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

A God-given vision draws you closer to God as you pursue Him and His purpose for your life with everything in you, while a self-generated dream will take you farther and farther from Him as you pursue it. The question to ask as you seek to determine whether your pursuing His vision for your life or your own dream is , "Am I drawing nearer to you Lord?"