Mensa Otabil - What Do You See? (10/03/2025)
This week, we've been asking questions: Who are you? Where are you? And today, what do you see? It's a question about vision, Proverbs chapter 29, verse 18: "Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keeps the law, happy is he."
Have you tried walking without sight, maybe blindfolded? Because although you may have all your elements together and are able to walk, there is uncertainty in your work, and you're not too sure what is ahead of you or how to navigate your path. That is what vision does for us in the natural.
But the vision we are talking about here is not natural vision. This is a vision that is a mental image, a mental picture of where you are going in life. It can also be a spiritual image. Having a clear sense of where you're going in life—this is what vision is.
The NIV renders the verse we just read, "Where there is no vision, the people perish," as "Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint." Restraint is like a pipeline—a pipeline through which water flows. For water to move from one end to the other, it has to be conserved in a pipeline. What the pipeline does is restrain the water so that it can be focused. That is what vision does: it takes what you have, focuses it, and helps it move from one place to another.
That is why it says that when there is no vision, you will perish. You're not going to perish in the sense that you would die, but you will waste your resources, time, and effort. There's so much activity—lots of water, so to speak—but no pipeline. Nothing to direct you, nothing to guide you. So, it's important to have a vision.
How do we get a vision? We get a vision mainly based on what we believe God has called us to do with our lives. If you believe God has called you to be a footballer, for example, then your vision is to be a footballer. If you believe God has called you to be a preacher, your vision will be to become a preacher. If you believe God wants you to be a cameraman, then your vision will be to become a cameraman.
This sense of "this is where I'm going with my life" and "this is what I want to do" is what we call a vision. What does it do? It gives you clarity, taking all kinds of distractions off your view, and provides direction. It lets you know where you are going.
When you get up in the morning, you know what to do with your life: "I believe God wants me to be a doctor." My vision is to become a doctor, so everything I study will be aimed at that. I'm going to pass, go to medical school, and become a doctor. Your vision helps clarify where you are going and helps you manage your resources. Even if you don't have much, when you have vision, everything will be properly focused, and you will get somewhere.
A vision helps you prioritize—it helps you determine what is important, what is not, what to do first, second, and third. The questions we've asked earlier help us discover our vision. If you know who you are and where you are, you will know what you see, because it's all related to what God wants to do with your life. May the Lord give you clarity of vision in all that you do, in Jesus' name.
Let's pray together. Say with me, "Heavenly Father, show me what you want to do with my life and help me to live with a sense of purpose, in Jesus' name. Amen and amen."
Remember, your vision and life are always related to God's purpose for you. I'm Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.