“You were tailor-made, carefully crafted, minutely detailed for a selected divine agenda.”

There are some incredible historical accounts written on the pages of Scripture. And many times, it is easy for us to romanticize the lives of the people involved in those stories. The reality is that we generally simply get a snapshot of one event that takes place, and we don’t necessarily get a view of their lives day in and day out.

Nehemiah’s Vision

The book of Nehemiah shows us the time in Nehemiah’s life when God gave him a vision for Jerusalem and the Israelites. We get to see it from the beginning until the vision becomes a reality. In his book, Visioneering, Andy Stanley uses the book of Nehemiah to show us step-by-step how to live out the vision God places on our hearts.

“Visioneering is the course one follows to make dreams a reality.”

We’re reminded that our vision is not just ours, but it has been given to us by God, and it is only a small piece of the puzzle that is God’s overall plan.

“Your vision is simply an extension of his vision.”

Set Backs for Your Vision

Stanley reminds us that there will be critics just as Nehemiah had critics. He encourages us through the distractions, just as Nehemiah had to avoid the distractions. He brings to bear the importance of having moral authority, character, and integrity. Nehemiah’s enemies weren’t victorious because he lived what he preached.

“Nehemiah’s vision wasn’t so much about rebuilding a wall as it was about reestablishing a context for God to demonstrate his power and fulfill his promises to the nations.”

If God has given you a vision, and you can’t imagine how it will come to be, remember that, “You’re not responsible for figuring out how to pull off God’s vision for your life. You are responsible to do what you know to do, what you can do. And then you must wait.”

Success of Your Vision

Finally, be careful how you define success. Stanley points out that if we measure success based on completed visions, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment. We need to reframe our definition of success.

“Success is remaining faithful to the process God has laid out for you.”

In God’s eyes, you are just as successful the moment you step out in faith to accomplish the vision as you are when that vision comes to be. Success is obedience regardless of the outcome.

Disclaimer: This is a review of the content of this book specifically. It is not a commentary on the author or anything else the author has written, said, or done.