About ten years ago, our family was in the market for a bigger home when we heard of an old house that was coming up for sale on an auction. We attended an open house and previewed the property. The house was a possibility with an ample amount of bedrooms for a family of five and room for a home-based business. But, the lack of outlets, light fixtures, and closets, brought about some degree of concern. My dear husband assured me, however, he could fix those things. While I saw “old” and “dated”, he saw “potential” and “possibility”. I guess you could say he had a vision. He could look at the property and see walls removed, rooms added, closets created, and areas repurposed. I found it difficult to see past the shag carpet and wallpaper, and saw hard work, sore muscles, and lots of dollar signs. But, he sold me on the vision.
Having a vision was essential! Without it we would have had problems estimating the cost of improvements, determining the price we were willing to pay for the house, and convincing the bank on the amount we needed for a home improvement loan. A vision kept us focused on the desired outcome in the midst of setbacks. When the work seemed endless, tempers flared, and frustrations mounted, I reminded him of the vision. There were times during the course of the project that the vision changed and adaptations were made, but it was easier to weigh the pros and cons of many decisions against the light of an end goal.
As Christians, we should also have a vision. We can come up with fancy words and drawn out phrases that make us sound intelligent and noteworthy, but when it comes down to it, the only vision or goal that counts in the Christian life is that His kingdom come and His will be done. With our home renovation, we could give detailed drawings, itemized lists, and cost estimates, or simply state that we were remodeling our home. So it is with our Christian vision… we can “act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8), “give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord” (1 Cor 15:58), “look after orphans or widows in their distress and keep ourself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27), “go and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19), and “give attention to prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). But all the details and DOs and DO NOTs can be summed up in this: Live and Love Like Jesus. Jesus came to earth to sacrifice himself for the sins of the world, but he also came to show us God’s vision of His Kingdom.
So what does this mean for ARC? Not so long ago we had a vision to build a new sanctuary. I have been re-reading an old devotional that was given to the congregation when we began the facility expansion. I have been convicted by these words: “Pray that as this dream is realized we will grow more fully into devoted followers of Jesus Christ” and “Pray that we can be one so that the world can be won”. The new worship center came to be a reality, but it seems like once the project was completed we were without a goal that kept us all working together. We lost sight of a vision and began drifting along rather than reaching beyond our walls to touch the world with God’s love.
I would like to propose a new expansion project. Not one that is measured in square feet and dollars and cents; a Spiritual Expansion project where the only blueprint is the Master Builder himself. What would ARC look like in the next five years if everyone committed the same amount of time, energy and finances to being a reflection of Jesus? I can only say that “Through God’s work in us, God is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or possibly imagine.” (Ephesians 3:20) Sound familiar?
Erin Jacobsma
Spiritual Expansion