I have never met or heard of anyone who leverages the power of visualization better than Pastor Rick Warren. He has no filter or governor on his vision engine. There are no restrictions on that car’s carburetor and his vision gas pedal is always pressed through the floor.
Rick’s visualization prowess has produced two very important results over 30 years of ministry:
- It maximizes the quantity of options and possibilities that come forward.
- It allows good but “crazy” ideas to survive doubters and “you can’t do it” defeatism.
It continues to be an inspiration for me to watch God work through my pastor and friend—for over 30 years now–who simply refuses to let anything stall his vision engine.
Visualization is important for Christians because it illuminates and enlarges our life purpose. It injects a sense of expectancy into living. And it gives us a road map to get started.
Yes, visualization is important for Christians wanting to live a Christ-like life, but how do we get it done?
Well, I’ve certainly learned that it is not automatic. It requires a very important ingredient–CONFIDENCE—“God Confidence.” It’s true. Our ability to visualize what is possible through God is directly correlative to our level of God Confidence.
STEP ONE: Push Back The “Negativity Force”
God Confidence is more than a battle of polarities—black/white, negative/positive, or low/high. It is more than being “up” or “down.” God Confidence is all about winning the constant battle to be ever stronger in our faith and not let the “negativity force” establish itself in our psyche.
Getting that strength requires a close connection to God and his Word. And that’s important because if we don’t keep the negativity force at bay, over time it produces uninterrupted and unrelenting pressure that makes it very difficult to visualize what God can and wants to do in our life.
STEP TWO: Produce The Antidote
While the negativity force appears in our life automatically and lingers like smoke from a fire, God Confidence must be summoned through prayer and daily connection to God and his Word. It is a matter of intentionally activating a response—an antidote—that neutralizes the negativity force before it takes residence in our soul and traps our visualization in darkness.
Think of it like this: If you put a few drops of poison in a five-gallon container of water, the entire contents will be contaminated. It is the same dynamic at work when a believer is striving to achieve maximum God Confidence. If the negativity force (poison) is not neutralized, it is impossible to be fully confident in what God can do in and through us.
STEP THREE: Start With The End
The pathway to maximum God Confidence starts at the front end where we either truly believe that God has made us in his image to bless and grow his Kingdom, or we do not. If we do not believe that promise at the start, the lies we have allowed to take residence in our life will eventually seep out and produce delusions of inadequacy. It’s a shame if that happens because God has painted us in a dappled palette of shadows and light. We must have maximum God Confidence to discover our unique colors on the palette.
Remember how the Psalmist David paints the picture of us:
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14
