Crystal Clear Focus

"Where there is no vision, the people perish." - Proverbs 29:18, KJV

I remember in college having a professor for a communication class repeatedly talking about have a 'crystal clear focus'. The concept was proposed and highly stressed in my college class, but it also holds a very high level of importance in ministry and in life.

My experience leading mission trips and spending time doing youth ministry over the past few years has been trying and rewarding. One of the things i've learned is the truth of this verse found in Proverbs. If ministry is being done without a crystal clear focus, the "people will perish." This is true in a number of ways. I work for Praying Pelican Missions, leading mission trips in Belize and Jamaica. I've gained a lot of perspective in the area of setting goals and having a vision for a short term mission trip. The overall vision of Praying Pelican Missions can be easily summed up... "To connect churches in North America with local churches in Belize, Jamaica, and Mexico through successfull short term mission trips. To support and encourage the local church in these three countries and give north American's a chance to experience a life changing experience in the foreign mission field."

If I was to lead a mission trip without this vision in the forefront of my mind, the people, in a way, would perish. They would not experience the full purpose of our organization and would not fulfill the role for which we exist as a ministry. Their efforts would be worthless and perish. The concept of vision should be taken very seriously in ministry and in every church. Another place where vision ties directly into our lives is through our relationships.Especially in the Christian world, without vision, our relationships will perish. We must have a crystal clear focus when it comes to the purpose of our relationships. Why are we in relationships with other people? Is it because they're family and we're supposed to be close with family? If so, the relationship will perish. Is it for selfish reasons? the relationship will perish.

I've had so many friends over the years. From the time I finished grade school and graduated college I attended five different schools and five different churches. I moved a few times and met a lot of people. A lot of my relationships were fun or gratifying for a time, but very few of them lacked the vision that were needed to lay the foundation for a successful relationship. I very rarely sit down with friends and bring up the topic, "what is the vision, purpose and goal of our relationship?" But, i'm questioning myself- why don't I? Shouldn't my relationships have a crystal clear focus? I do believe that every relationship, in the Christian world, should have a sole focus to honor and worship God. But there's nothing wrong with having more of a vision than that. Adding something like how to honor God with our relationships is one way to cast a big vision for a relationship.

One of my closest friends is a guy named Jeremy. We went to college together for one year and were roommates. Throughout the years we've grown closer and closer even though Jeremy has gotten married and we've spent less and less time together. We haven't specifically talked about it, but we both know that we have a good vision of what our relationship is for, why it exists. It should be discussed, especially with those who are very close- boyfriend / girlfriends, and obviously husbands / wives. If these things are not defined, the relationship will fail, sooner or later. But I do think there's more at stake.

If there are relationships between Christians and non-Christians that don't have a clear vision, not only will the relationship perish, but souls are on the line. It is very healthy for Christians to have relationships with unbelievers, actually very important if you ask me. But if that Christian doesn't at least have a crystal clear focus of what their purpose is for befriending an unbeliever, the act of friendship can very easily be vanity and lack any real purpose. Leviticus 5:1 sheds more light on the situation and idea of the sin of Omission. This verse implies that if we know others are living in sin or are living without Christ and we are in relationships with them, if we are complacent about the situation and unconcerned with where their lives and souls are, we will be held responsible. It's a responsibility we cannot escape as Christians. We need more of a passion and a desire to reach the lost, especially those who are literally waiting until the day that Satan drags them to hell. I pray that God gives me that passion and that it spreads like wildfire on a dry, hot day in California.