Discover God's VisionSample

Submitting to the Vision

By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

Has God ever given you a task that seemed like too much for you? Maybe He was calling you to lead a small group in your home. Or perhaps there was a specific person in your life who needed to hear the Gospel. Instead of rejoicing in His leading, you avoided His assignment.

We often claim that we want God’s vision and we want God to use us, but in reality we mean this only on our terms. Our words loudly profess, “Here I am, Lord. Use me however you want.” But our hearts whisper, “Lord, I want to serve You, but only if it means working on this project or serving in that location. I definitely don’t want to witness to this particular person or to that particular group.”

It’s easy to do God’s work when the recipient is someone we care for—but what happens when God wants us to minister to someone who is offensive, obnoxious, or condescending?

Has God given you a vision that you don’t like or that you are running from right now? When God is prompting us to do something, we must obey Him. Too often, we ignore His voice out of fear, embarrassment, or even disdain.

Prayer: God, forgive me for running from the vision You have given me. Give me the courage and desire to submit to and fulfill the vision You have for my life. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God’” (Luke 9:62).