Do you have a “raison d’être”?

Building People of Substance for Works of Power

March 5, 2025

I heard a guy on TV talking about the recent uptick in applications to be FBI agents. It’s really incredible — the number has more than doubled! When asked about his thoughts on the matter, he shared a personal anecdote about his own experience joining the CIA right after the tragic events of 9/11. He put it this way, “There was a clear sense of mission at that time in that agency, and the same thing is going on now in the newly revamped F.B.I.” I couldn’t help but reflect on the phrase “a clear sense of mission.” Mission moves people.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the idea of “vision” as we usually understand it in church. There’s been a lot written and said about it, and I’ve always been a big believer in having some clear idea of why we’re here. I think it’s important for both an individual and for a church. When you know the “why” of your existence, it provides you with motivation, direction, and most importantly, a sense of purpose. In French, they call it “raison d’être,” which translates to “reason for being.”

A lot of what we teach regarding “vision” has been borrowed from or influenced by the world of modern business. Even so, it’s valuable to have a deep sense of our reason for being. On a personal level, purpose helps us get through hard times and makes us want to get up and go, even when we don’t feel like it. For a church, it can do the same and more. It can and should provide a foundation for unity and be a guide in corporate decision-making. There are many good things to do, but not all of them are part of our assignment or our purpose.

I was in the parking lot of St. John’s Medical Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma in March of 1983. The Holy Spirit spoke by tongues and interpretation:

“A life lived selfishly is a life wasted. The only reason for a man to live is to bring others to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and teach them to do likewise. For this purpose I have called you, and don’t forget it.”

That moment of heavenly instruction has helped me stay steady in a variety of  places and circumstances. No matter where I am, I always know exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.

The “go-to” passage for teaching on vision is in Habakkuk. The Lord wasn’t trying to teach us how to write a vision, but we can certainly learn a lot from His instructions to Habakkuk :

“I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.

Habakkuk 2:1-4 ESV

Can you imagine how most of us would respond if we got a vision like Habakkuk’s? God told him that the Chaldeans, a very pagan and violent lot, were going to be the agent of judgment on a backslidden Israel. Habakkuk objected that this would be unjust, and that the Chaldeans should be judged as well, to which God replies, don’t worry, they will get theirs.

The best known New Testament example of vision is the Apostle Paul. He had a personal visitation from the risen Jesus. As we find out in his later retellings, he was instructed to go to the Gentiles, whom he despised, and tell them they didn’t need to keep the Law to be a part of God’s covenant. We also find out from Ananias that Paul was told that he would suffer greatly in pursuit of this cause. Most of us would rebuke the devil if we received a vision like that. It would certainly be a hard sell on that first Sunday in January!

In a recent prayer meeting, the Holy Spirit spoke to me, “Help people to find their lane.” As He spoke I saw a multi-lane highway winding up a mountain toward a glow at the top. For the next few days, I rolled this over in my heart. Then came the follow-up: “the vision is not a corral, it’s a destination.” It clarified my job. I’m here to help people get in the right lane for their journey. That has been a huge help as I have been seeking God for direction for the next phase of ministry. I’m not collecting people; I’m preparing them and sending them. It helps to hear heaven!

Whether it’s for your church, your ministry, or your personal life, everything starts with hearing from God. Habakkuk took to the tower to hear, and he did! As we understand it from the Bible, a vision is either a revelation from God about the future, or an assignment from God to be carried out in the present. It’s not a marketing slogan or a bumper sticker. To get it across to others, it may be necessary to work on the best wording, but never forget exactly what God said or what you saw or perceived. What did God tell you to do?

He gave Habakkuk some good advice on how to use revelation when we get it. We write it down, make it clear, run with it, and be patient. I like to include verse 4: we need to humble ourselves and live by faith. I’ll go into more detail about that in future posts, but for now, let’s focus on hearing from God. Without that, you’re running on your own steam and seeking your own purposes, and that’s never a good idea.

Somebody Said: “Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.” – Viktor Frankl

Scripture Reading:  Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law. Proverbs 29:18 ESV

Not having a clear vision definitely causes problems. Vision unites, motivates and guides, especially in difficult times. For Christians, our vision should be God-given. If you haven’t heard it from God, it’s probably best not to make it up. If it’s something you came up with on your own, then people are going to be running in every direction. When the going gets tough, it won’t hold you steady, either. A humanly engineered motto won’t inspire you or galvanize people.

Here’s the point:

If you have a vision, a moment when you know God spoke to you, go back, dig it out, dust it off, and remind yourself why you’re here. It’s easy to drift if we don’t refocus on a regular basis. If you haven’t heard from heaven, go to the tower. Make it a regular part of your day until you know in your heart what God has said. Until that time, do what the Bible says do. Find a place to serve in the universal mission of loving one another and reaching the world. That’s the reason we all exist, our “raison d’être.”

Pastor Virgil

3141 W. Ironwood Hill Dr.

Tucson, AZ 85741