Putting "Heart" to your Vision!
By David Arrol Macfarlane
By David Arrol Macfarlane
Motivational Psychology was a mandatory four-year course that I took as part of my business degree. One important lesson I learnt in these classes was that while most of us think all our decisions are made on the basis of analysis, facts and logic, the truth is that most of our choices, which lead us to action, come mostly from our emotions. When we “see”, “feel” and “desire” deeply about some positive and healthy dream it propels us to action and even sacrifice to make it a reality. A dream without heart rarely comes to pass.
My favourite example of the birth of a dream being firmly tied to the “heart” is Nehemiah’s vision for rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah 1:3-4 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.” While there is much to say about this passage I would like you to look only at “I sat down and wept” in verse 4. His impossible dream of rebuilding the walls came to him full of deep emotion and it was this contagious passion that helped him inspire God’s people and keep them focused on achieving it through many trials and setbacks. His vision certainly had his heart.
As an aside, since my conversion, in Buenos Aires at 23 years of age, I have been driven by a dream of seeing as many people as possibly come to Christ. But I can always tell when my vision dims and I am getting sidetracked by the demands of life and ministry when I find I no longer weep easily for the lost. Healthy emotions tied to a worthwhile vision lead to the passion that changes the world. John Maxwell said: “One person with passion is better than 99 who are merely interested”.
One of the most famous speeches of all times was delivered by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC on August 28, 1963. His message “I Have a Dream” marks a defining moment in the civil rights movement in the US that is still felt to this day. It must be noted that Dr King did not say: “I have a plan” or “I have a strategy” that might stimulate the mind but instead a “I have a dream” that ultimately captivated the hearts of millions of Americans and led eventually to historic action. I see a parallel here with Nehemiah facing his seemingly impossible task. The message is that people need faith and inspiration to help them “feel” hope and “see” the possibilities before they will commit to embarking on a well thought our plan. The vision must grip their hearts first.
In British Columbia a church was discussing closing its doors when they asked me to be their new leader. Sadly, it had gone through two painful splits before I got there and most of their people had left and found other churches to attend, specially the young families. Knowing that these hurting people needed hope and a fresh vision to rebuild and, being aware that a dream had to touch them deeply, I prayed to God for help feeling way out of my depth. It was then that the nursery (then totally empty on Sundays) came to mind. The next day I called all the wonderful congregational leaders to follow me into the church nursery. They must have wondered what we were doing there standing among the vacant stacking cribs. Then I said: “Do you believe that, with God’s help, we can see all these cribs full again?” They were shocked. Many of these men started to cry as it was their grandchildren that were no longer being placed in those cribs. The dream, from then on, was to do what it took to see the nursery full again. With this simple yet clear vision, that they cared deeply about, these dear leaders supported me in making very significant changes and trying many new but effective approaches to outreach. God showed up! On a Sunday, about a year later, a dear old saint called Lena came up to me with tears of joy “Pastor, today the nursery is full!” The great news is that this congregation continues to thrive. So, the point is…to get myself and others on side and motivated, it is crucial that a vision have heart!
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
[email protected]
My favourite example of the birth of a dream being firmly tied to the “heart” is Nehemiah’s vision for rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah 1:3-4 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.” While there is much to say about this passage I would like you to look only at “I sat down and wept” in verse 4. His impossible dream of rebuilding the walls came to him full of deep emotion and it was this contagious passion that helped him inspire God’s people and keep them focused on achieving it through many trials and setbacks. His vision certainly had his heart.
As an aside, since my conversion, in Buenos Aires at 23 years of age, I have been driven by a dream of seeing as many people as possibly come to Christ. But I can always tell when my vision dims and I am getting sidetracked by the demands of life and ministry when I find I no longer weep easily for the lost. Healthy emotions tied to a worthwhile vision lead to the passion that changes the world. John Maxwell said: “One person with passion is better than 99 who are merely interested”.
One of the most famous speeches of all times was delivered by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC on August 28, 1963. His message “I Have a Dream” marks a defining moment in the civil rights movement in the US that is still felt to this day. It must be noted that Dr King did not say: “I have a plan” or “I have a strategy” that might stimulate the mind but instead a “I have a dream” that ultimately captivated the hearts of millions of Americans and led eventually to historic action. I see a parallel here with Nehemiah facing his seemingly impossible task. The message is that people need faith and inspiration to help them “feel” hope and “see” the possibilities before they will commit to embarking on a well thought our plan. The vision must grip their hearts first.
In British Columbia a church was discussing closing its doors when they asked me to be their new leader. Sadly, it had gone through two painful splits before I got there and most of their people had left and found other churches to attend, specially the young families. Knowing that these hurting people needed hope and a fresh vision to rebuild and, being aware that a dream had to touch them deeply, I prayed to God for help feeling way out of my depth. It was then that the nursery (then totally empty on Sundays) came to mind. The next day I called all the wonderful congregational leaders to follow me into the church nursery. They must have wondered what we were doing there standing among the vacant stacking cribs. Then I said: “Do you believe that, with God’s help, we can see all these cribs full again?” They were shocked. Many of these men started to cry as it was their grandchildren that were no longer being placed in those cribs. The dream, from then on, was to do what it took to see the nursery full again. With this simple yet clear vision, that they cared deeply about, these dear leaders supported me in making very significant changes and trying many new but effective approaches to outreach. God showed up! On a Sunday, about a year later, a dear old saint called Lena came up to me with tears of joy “Pastor, today the nursery is full!” The great news is that this congregation continues to thrive. So, the point is…to get myself and others on side and motivated, it is crucial that a vision have heart!
- Please pass this on to your Pastor or staff if you find it encouraging
- For a humorous 2 minute video introduction by Mark Hughes go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRYreq5DT_8
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
[email protected]
