Have you ever had a dream...rather a VISION that you were certain was from God? You toiled away for years working on your vision. You know it changed lives and you felt good that you were doing what you were supposed to do. But, suddenly, things start falling apart around you. No matter what good works you try to do, it seems the walls are crumbling down, laying at your feet. You are left standing in an open space, tears in your eyes, where your vision used to be.

Devastating, isn't it?

You may ask what went wrong. You may think, "Wasn't I doing the Lord's work? How could I fail when all I wanted to do was bring people to the Lord?" I know I have thought this on many occasions and I have learned two things in particular from this line of thinking:

First, just because I had a vision to bring people to God a specific way, just because I was doing good works, did not mean that it was God's vision. When we don't listen for guidance, we often see a blurring of lines. We start to confuse our own visions with that of the Lord's. Doing good works is good, but doing what the Lord asks of us is much better.

Second, maybe - just maybe - this vision was God's vision for us at the beginning, but it isn't his vision anymore. Maybe God needed to find out what was more important to us, the vision or Him.

I am reminded of Abraham and Sarah. God gave them a vision of descendants. At 100, Abraham and Sarah finally had their son. It was a dream come true.

But...

"Some time later God tested Abraham." Gen 22:1a (TNIV)

God told Abraham to take his son, Isaac, to the region of Moriah and to Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering. God was testing Abraham's obedience. He was testing whether the vision of descendants or God Himself meant more to Abraham. Since Abraham was obedient, God provided another sacrifice for him and spared his son.　Abraham proved himself worthy and God blessed him with descendants "as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore." Gen. 22:17 (TNIV)

Continue to do good works, but be sure to be obedient to God's vision as Abraham was.

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10 (TNIV)

So, if you are doing good works, but now you struggle, maybe God is asking you to choose between what you believe is His vision and God Himself.

Kim Kanofsky