Episode Transcript
[00:00:12] Well, hey, friends. Welcome back to another edition of the weekday podcast. I'm so grateful you're here today. If you find this helpful, if you don't mind, consider sharing it with a friend today. I just want to think about this one question. What if the reason you're stuck isn't because you failed, but because you stopped writing the vision?
[00:00:29] Now, if we're honest, most of us love a clean start. We like a new year. We like a new word. We like a fresh notebook. But when we hit August, we realize the vision hasn't played out the way that we expected. And we start to feel embarrassed, maybe even ashamed. We think, I blew it, or I wasn't disciplined enough, or maybe I heard God wrong. But here's the reminder today, your failure to follow through doesn't disqualify you from picking it back up again.
[00:00:56] God's invitation is not to live with regret. It's to rewrite the vision and to keep running. And Habakkuk 2, verse 2, it says, then the Lord answered me and said, record the vision. Inscribe it on tablets that the one who reads it may run.
[00:01:11] So maybe today, instead of picking a new word, maybe you need to write it down again.
[00:01:16] God doesn't say dream about the vision. He says record it. He says inscribe it. Why?
[00:01:21] Because he knows we'll forget, that we'll drift, that life happens, that emotions rise and fall, and that clarity leaks. And that's why vision must be written and not just imagined. And sometimes you have to write it again.
[00:01:34] God never said that the first draft would be the final draft. Maybe your word back in January was peace, but since then, life has been anything but peaceful. Or maybe it was discipline, but now you're trying to survive. The good news is you can rewrite the vision without shame. And it's not quitting, it's actually recommitting. And what I found is that that clarity fuels consistency. God says inscribe it on tablets that the one who reads it may run. Not crawl, not tiptoe. Run.
[00:02:04] You can run with clarity. If you're vague, you'll be paralyzed. If you're unclear, you'll hesitate. But when your vision is written down boldly and simply, you can move. You can't chase what you haven't clearly named. That's why you need to inscribe it. Put it where you'll see it. On your rock, on a sticky note, on the mirror, as your phone's lock screen, on a note card in your Bible. If your word is joy, add a Phrase joy in the pressure. If your word is hope, try hope in uncertainty. Let it become laser focused. Let it guide how you spend your time, how you treat the people around you, and how you even talk to yourself. What I'd encourage you to do is to create a system so that you can see it. Why? Because. Because vision leaks, especially when life gets loud. That's when you need a system to reread your vision. Because if you don't revisit the vision, you'll drift from the mission. Here's three simple ideas around that Daily glance at your word when you sip your coffee or start your quiet time weekly. Reflect on how you lived it out. Ask where did I see this word? Show up? Monthly journal and entry what is God doing in me through this word right now?
[00:03:11] None of this is about guilt. It's actually about formation. You're not earning anything. You're actually returning to what God has already placed in you. And I want to encourage you. Leave shame behind. Remember the why.
[00:03:25] Some of you are stuck not because your word doesn't matter, but because shame told you that you're not worthy to live it out. But the reminder God gives us that God gave you that word not because you're already perfect, but because he's forming something in you. And honestly, formation takes time. Vision is not about proving something. It's about becoming someone.
[00:03:46] So if your word is love and you failed to love, well, great. You get to grow. If your word is discipline and you've had setbacks, welcome to the club. If your word is faith and you've wrestled with doubt, God is not disappointed. He's drawing you closer. And so I want to give you a practical way to rewrite your plan. Super simple. This is how you re engage in the process. Number one, Return to the word. Ask God. Do you still want me to be about this word for this season? And listen to him Journal. Be open. If it's time for a new word, receive it.
[00:04:18] Number two, refocus the vision. Write a new sentence or two that adds clarity to the word. Maybe something like courage to speak truth in hard places. Or rest even when life doesn't slow down. Or generosity even when I feel empty. Step three, place it where you'll see it. Visibility. It leads to memorability, so make it impossible to ignore. And then step four, pray it daily, even just 20 seconds a day. God, would you help me live it out? So today I want to encourage you. Don't be ashamed if the vision didn't unfold perfectly. Nobody gets it right the first time. But what matters is that you come back to it. God isn't great in your performance. He's growing your perseverance. Rewriting the vision is. It's not weak. It's worship.
[00:05:01] If you come back to God and say, God, I still believe this matters. Even if I got off track, even if I drifted, even if I lost sight. He loves that heart. That's the heart he can run with. So today, I want to encourage you. Grab your rock, grab your journal, your phone, and ask God, what's the vision you want to bring back to life in me? Write it, reread it, recommit to it. And I'm telling you, run with it. Have a great day. We'll see you back here soon.
