- (DARBY) Where there is no vision the people cast off restraint; but happy is he that keepeth the law.
- (AMP) Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he.
This verse has often been presented as a reason to have a personal or corporate vision (Darby and NASB translate it that way - note also the Amplified). No denying the importance of those conclusions. But what is fundamental is that the vision spoken of in this verse is about God and his revelation to man - not about the creation of a personal or corporate vision or purpose statement that is separate from God's revelation. Those both are important, maybe even vital when building a business or building one's life. More to the point of this verse is that if God is not brought into the affairs of humans, if God's Word is not part of how a person thinks about his affairs, if God is shut out from a person's living, people "stumble all over themselves!"
This has certainly been true in periods of my life. I cast off restraint, stumbled and felt like I was perishing. Lost and lonely. I had lost sight of God's revelation and His purpose for me. I forgot that I was created in His image. My negative thinking was, in fact, a violation of His first commandment. How dare I think that what God has created (me) would not be of value to Him and to His kingdom? When negative thoughts intrude, my responsibility is to immediately ask God to heal whatever it is in me that has generated that negative self-talk.
Perhaps, like me, you have periods where you struggle with your real purpose for being. Why are you here? What had God intended for you that makes best use of what He has uniquely and wonderfully created? Sometimes, "seeing what God is doing" is a matter of faith-sight, not earthly site.
That life of "seeing" is practiced in a life of prayer and trust in His word. Hard to do with today's culture. What I see in America today is a result of the systematic denial of God's influence in the affairs of people. People have "cast off restraint" in the popular "reality" TV shows, in how the news is reported, in our schools and in how many companies are run. I am reminded of Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children."
Matthew Henry put it this way: "T[he] gospel is an open vision, which holds forth Christ, which humbles the sinner and exalts the Savior, which promotes holiness in the life and conversation: and these are precious truths to keep the soul alive, and prevent it from perishing."
What a powerful incentive for business leaders. Who is better equipped to fulfill the consequence of that obedience of "holding forth Christ? The consequence is happy, fortunate and enviable employees, vendors and customers? Who is better equipped to minister to the world than people in the marketplace? The 9 - 5 window is certainly much bigger than the Missionary's 10 -4 0 window.
When you first focus on what God is doing you will be used to fulfill the Great Commission at work. A purpose, greater than work, is met. Companies are transformed. Lives changed- “attending to what He reveals.” Are you blessed at work?
Copyright (c) 2006 by P. Griffith Lindell
No comments:
Post a Comment