VISION vs. PURPOSE

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It’s not the same as a vision, for it’s bigger than a vision. Vision is only an instrument of fulfilling purpose. If purpose is the spirit, vision is the body; if purpose is the body, vision is the clothing. Purpose is the end; vision a means to an end. Purpose is life from God’s perspective; Vision is life from man’s perspective. We as humans have visions; God as our maker gives us purpose. Why? So that our vision (pictures of a preferred future) can be in alignment with our purpose (what we were created to originally do). Purpose is what God thinks of your life. The former is how the creator (inventor) sees the life of the creature (invention) while the later is how the creature sees its own life.

Vision is a picture of a preferable future. It is a thing you create with your imagination and then make visible plans on how to achieve it. Vision involves the painting of a better life for yourself and deciding to do all that you can to bring it to pass. Vision is your own making; your role is that of a manufacturer creating a finished product, in this case; a preferable future; a better tomorrow. It’s not by force; it’s a choice. It entails making a choice to pursue the preferred life of your choice. It’s not the same as purpose.

Purpose is not a picture that you paint, it’s a call that must be obeyed – answered. It’s not a thing you created, it’s a thing created for you deposited in you. Purpose is not within your power to create, it’s a thing you discover by asking your maker. Purpose is your destiny; it is a question of intention. And intention is not a matter of choice, but a matter of source. The intention of a thing is not in the hand of the invention (the thing), but in the hand of the inventor (the maker of the thing). You cannot know the purpose (intention) of a thing by asking the thing (invention), but rather by asking the maker of the thing (inventor).

God is our creator and thus the only source of our purpose – intention. It’s only the inventor of a thing that can accurately define and explain the intended use of that thing (purpose). Purpose lies in our source and not in our choice. What does this mean? Purpose is something hidden deep within us by the creator from our very beginning. It is a treasure that is to be discovered. You don’t alter (change) it or choose (pick) it; it’s discovered and thus chooses you. We must therefore make a choice to follow or submit to what we have discovered about ourselves. Since we never made ourselves, we can only search within ourselves to discover what the maker hid in us. Hence, our task as humans is to uncover or discover what it is that we carry within us individually.

Purpose is the reason why the creature exists – the essence of existence. Vision is the dream of the creature – the quest for fulfillment. Purpose is designed from above (God) but discovered here on earth, vision is designed here by man from the inside. Purpose is your intended life; Vision is your preferred life. One is ordained long before you were made, the other you strive to attain after you were made. Purpose is what you are here to do (destiny), vision is how much you want to do what you are here to do (legacy). Purpose is the essence of existence; vision the extent of your existence. It’s not up to you to choose your purpose; it’s assigned to you by the one who intended you. You were neither present nor were aware when your purpose was being defined. It is chosen and determined by your maker without your consent or knowledge.

Purpose is what brought you to existence. You don’t exist to choose your purpose; you exist for a purpose. It’s because there was a need (intention) that’s why you were created (intended) as a solution to that need. You are a solution to an existing problem. You don’t question purpose; you submit, obey purpose. No creature questions the intentions of the creator. Your job on earth is to find and follow your purpose. The usefulness of an invention can only be explained by the inventor and not the other way. Conclusively, purpose is the intent of the creator, and it is to be obeyed and followed.

Nevertheless, choosing your vision is totally up to you. It’s your responsibility to align your vision with your purpose. Vision has to do with how far you want to carry out your purpose. Vision is a question of size – to what extent do you want to follow and carry out your purpose? How far do you want to go in the direction of your purpose? Vision is painting a picture of how you want to fulfill your purpose. It’s how you see yourself fulfilling your purpose. If purpose is destiny – the end; vision therefore is legacy – the means to the end. Your vision should lead you to fulfill your purpose. Vision leads, while purpose follows. Vision is the extent, purpose the intent. The secret and balance of the two; is using your life according to God’s perspective and creating a vision that conforms to that perspective.

Tito Philips, Jnr.