Change happens when we have a desire for things to be better and a willingness to move in this direction. But desire and will are still not enough. We also need a vision to know where we’re going, and it takes a well-developed imagination to cast a meaningful vision.
Typically, desire comes pretty easily, even if it’s in the negative and simply knowing what we don’t want. And while it takes much discipline to summon our will to act, it’s still generally clear what we need to do once everything else is in place.
But vision is not something that necessarily comes naturally, nor can we simply will it per se. Vision must be cultivated through our imaginations.
For example, we must first be able to imagine a vacation at the beach for this particular desire to be stirred, and for us then to take the actions necessary to make this desire a reality.
Without imagination there’s no clarity in vision. And without vision we remain in the dark – driving in circles and getting no closer to where we want to be.
As much as we might desire a vacation and we’re willing to do what it takes, we still need imagination and vision for direction and clarity. And this is true throughout our life and relationships.
For instance, it’s not enough to simply want a thriving marriage, or even to be willing to put in the work. We must also have some idea of what a good marriage looks like. And here we must often cultivate our imaginations.
Perhaps our parents or others in our community provide solid examples and give us meaningful images to hold on to. And our imaginations can also be shaped through fictional characters, or symbolic images, such as Christ and the church.
Whatever it looks like, we often have to be more intentional in cultivating our imaginations to give us the vision necessary to move toward the life and goodness we desire.
In the end, don’t let a lack of vision hold you back from God’s best. Learn to dream, explore, and imagine all the many different creative possibilities of God’s goodness for you.
Photo by Natalya Zaritskaya on Unsplash
