Foundational Vision and Mission

'Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." '
Genesis 1:26-28

'And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." '
Genesis 2:9,15-17

We wrote a lot yesterday about the need for a vision in your life.  What it should look like.  What it should do.  But, really before we started writing about you casting a vision for your life and family, we should have written about the vision already given to us.  There are many different visions given by God, but there is a foundational vision that if neglected will negate or make all other visions futile.

As God was birthing us, He said “Let us make man in our image to procreate and multiply. (Anatomy of man’s first vision)  God's vision for man is to be in His image.  To be His representatives, or image bearers, in creation.  And He passed on this vision to man, be fruitful and multiply.  We exist to reflect God’s image, through procreation and using our authority responsibly in caring for all that He has created.

In creating Adam and Eve, He gave them a strategy for carrying out the vision they were given.  They were to enjoy and partake of the beauty of God’s creation. That includes us as the children of Adam and Eve.  We are to perpetuate life: with one another and by partaking of the tree of life (Today this tree of life is Jesus).  And to obey the commands and direction God has given us.  This is God’s strategy for us and avoids the distraction that will derail you from God’s vision. For Adam and Eve this is under no circumstances do we partake of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

How are you living God's vision for your life?

--Michael Walker

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