I just love this question! I’m so glad you asked (hee, hee). This question exists because so many of the motivational speakers and others have used the terms vision, dream, calling and purpose synonymously. You can easily believe that your dreams are the same as your vision and your purpose is the same as your calling. Unless you fully understand the differences, it can be confusing. Let’s delve deeper into this so you can be completely clear from this moment forward.
Let’s first discuss dreams. Vision can only come from God. Dreams on the other hand originate from your ego and are often a response to your current circumstances or position in life. Vision is rooted in God and transcends material things. Dreams are rooted in ego and usually are material in nature. It is easy to have a dream and not know your specific path to carry it out. Drug dealers and corporate embezzlers both have dreams that fuel their desire to be wealthy and acquire material things. Yet, they are not in alignment with the positive ways in which God would lead them to carry out their vision.
Dreams are often rooted in darkness, lack, struggle, dishonesty and selfishness. We often covet other people’s dreams who tell you to “do what I did to get what I got,” which will never work in the long term. Vision always aligns with God’s light while dreams may not and can be achieved through darkness and outside of God’s protective covering He provides to obedient believers.
With vision you ask yourself the question, “What’s in it for God?” and with dreams you ask the question, “What’s in it for me?” Dreams are something outside of yourself or “out there”. It always feels like your dreams are just beyond your current reach or grasp. Yet, when you think about vision, it feels like it is already yours because it is within you just waiting to come forth.
I know what you might be thinking…”But, Ericka, isn’t there something in it for me with vision?” Yes!41
That’s the fun part. When you commit to bringing forth the fullness (not a watered-down version) of the vision God has given you, you will receive everything, not only materially God intends for you. You will receive all of the spiritual, emotional and physical blessings as well. When you first seek the Kingdom of God, all things will be added unto you. You’ve read that scripture all your life. Now it is time to put it into action.
Let’s break down these other words a bit – purpose, passion and calling. It might be easier to explain if I give you an example. I want you to meet Francis. Francis is someone God has given the vision to end childhood diabetes. He has shown her that it is possible for children to be free from this disease. That is her vision – the big picture of what is possible. Her dream is to be a nationally-known photographer and have all of the camera equipment she can imagine. While these seem not to go together, we won’t understand how all the puzzle pieces fit together for Francis until we take into consideration her purpose, calling and passion.
When Francis “sees” this vision, she sees it at a national level. This is her calling. Her calling is her altitude, the level or scope God has assigned to her vision. Her purpose is how she will carry out her Kingdom assignment to the people she is to serve. Her purpose is to work with children who are suffering from childhood diabetes and those that are high risk for the disease. God has shown her that her work with childhood diabetes will touch every state within the United States. Now it’s time to add Francis’s passion into the mix so you can fully understand her purpose.
Her passion is photography. She has loved taking pictures since she was a little girl and received her first camera from her mother at the age of six. She began taking pictures of ladybugs, her friends, her family and classmates and begged her mother to develop the pictures so she could share them with others. You see, God gave Francis this passion knowing it would be part of her purpose and how she carries out her life’s work.
Let’s begin to put the pieces together…Francis’s vision is to assist juvenile diabetes in no longer existing. Her calling (or altitude) is on a national level. Her purpose is to use her passion for photography to make her visionary contribution. God will gift Francis with the vehicles or avenues she is supposed to use to express her vision and calling. Her gifts (things that just come naturally to her and were not actually taught, they were deposited in her from God) happen to be in capturing the heart and soul of someone through a picture and being organized. Her talents (things she is naturally good at, but needs to practice developing) are writing and talking.
So, when it all comes together, Francis’s purpose is to travel the country talking to/interviewing children with diabetes and taking their pictures to show the nation how special these children are and that they deserve to live without this disease. She will organize her work in books, calendars, slide shows and in museum presentations that show people the vast need for support of this cause.
It is someone else’s calling to find the cure and someone else’s calling to create a non-profit that funds the research. While they all share the same vision, together all of these visionaries will join forces in answering their visionary call and ending childhood diabetes. That is why you have many churches with Pastors who share the same vision of leading people to salvation through Jesus Christ, yet each of their churches feel different or are operated differently due to their different callings, purposes, passion, gifts and talents. Although these words are often used interchangeably, they are all components to the puzzle of vision.