Chazown: A Different Way to See Your Life [With DVD]

Chapter One

YOUR FINAL CHAPTER

Most people take a long time to die.

(This is no way to start a book, you say.)

But think about it. There are those few who go suddenly. Accidents. Heart attacks. Gang shootings. A soapy slip off the edge of the tub. But for you, chances are that at the end of your life, you will die in bed. Waiting.

And while you wait, you will very likely have days, weeks, even years to think, to look back on your life.

(See bed, opposite page.)

Imagine yourself there, lying in bed and reflecting. Reading back through the chapters of your life story.

What did my life add up to?

Did I really matter?

What did I live for?

Who will remember me?

What will they say about me when I'm gone?

Why was it important that I existed? So many questions. So much time. Will you lie there with no regrets? Some regrets? Nothing but regrets?

Imagine.

Or not. I mean, you'll probably have time to think about it when you get to that bed. So you could just wait. (Millions do.) See what comes. Wait until the final pages of your life story to see how it reads to you then.

But that's no way to end the story of your life.

Here's one more thing to think about: The decisions you are making today are actually making the bed you will lie in while you wait to die.

Which is why I wrote this book. To help you see your life differently, to see it the way your Creator saw it before you were born. And to live it with purpose and passion.

Starting now.

DESPERATE FOR VISION

I'm going to let you in on a secret. From this point on, to the end of the book, I'm winging it. That's right. I'm making it up as I go. I didn't have time to think through anything except the first few pages-thank you for reading this far-and the publishers needed the book right away.

But stay with me.

Keep reading.

If I accidentally say something good, you'll find it.

And now for another secret: What I just said? I was kidding. That's no way to write a book.

But what if I had written this book without any forethought or preparation? If I did, you'd be kicking yourself for wasting $19.99 and your valuable time. I wouldn't think of writing this or any other book without preparation, and neither would you.

But the greater and all-too-real tragedy is that so many in my generation are going through life without a vision, a big idea, a plan for their life. I've found that if you ask people, "What is your vision for life?" you'll get answers like:

"I want to be rich."

"I want to be famous."

"I want to eat everything I want without getting fat!" (Someone actually told me that.)

But those aren't visions or big ideas for a life. They're substitutes for the real thing. They're glittery placeholders. They're excuses to allow us to continue to drift.

For the most part, people just stumble halfheartedly through life hoping tomorrow will be better than today. No plan. No dream. Mostly just existing. Hoping for a break. They just keep turning the pages of their life story, one after the other, until they get to the final chapter.

And then . it's time for bed.

Death is a topic most people don't like to think about. As a pastor, I spend a lot of time helping people deal with it. Life-threatening illnesses. Sudden accidents. Funerals. Grieving families.

After a death, I always ask the family to tell me what was good in the life of the deceased. The answers are revealing.

Some families start talking and can't stop. They cry and laugh, relating story after story of a person who touched their lives, or gave their world meaning and hope. They celebrate a legacy. To them, the person now dead lives on as a shining light, an unforgettable example. A hero. A gift.

Other families fall into an awkward silence. They each seem to hold their breath. They stare at the floor. I know what they're doing-they're trying to come up with something honorable and good to say. They're glossing over pain, explaining away failures. Sometimes they start to speak, but .

I hate those silences.

Every life story, the good and the not-so-good, reinforces one central principle:

KEY THOUGHT

Everyone ends up somewhere. But few people end up somewhere on purpose.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

The great news is that anyone can discover meaningful life direction. Everyone can end up somewhere on purpose. Not just the remarkably talented or fortunate. You. Me. Everyone.

The Bible makes it clear that we were designed from the start to live for a unique reason. For a dream. A big idea. A personal mission. That's because you and I are made in the image of a forward-looking, purposeful God. In Isaiah 46:10, He said, "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please."

In other words, before God starts something, He is certain of the outcome.

And God's map of history includes a unique plan foryour life. In Psalm 139:13-16, David wrote:

You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Did you catch the amazing truth in those lines? God created you with a divine undertaking in mind. Before you were born, God knew you. And He knew what He wanted your life to be like.

That's why God calls us to live on purpose, keeping the end in view. And what's more, He invites us to seek Him in order to learn what His perfect plan is for our lives. Then, with that plan in mind, we can reach His and our greatest dreams. Anything less is a mistake, a lie, and a rip-off.

Of course, living out your personal purpose, reaching for your God-given dream-that all sounds fine. But life happens. Bills pile up. Problems press in. We're blasted every day by a hundred media messages that tell us what we really need to do-the one thing that would change our lives-is buy a new truck. Or get to the mall. Or drink lite beer.

You talk about purpose .

If we're not careful, we can fall dreadfully behind, trying frantically to catch up, trying to accomplish . absolutely nothing.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

Made for This

I'll bet your life is busy. Mine is, too. For me, raising six small children is challenging enough. Add to it the task of leading a large church with multiple campuses, and I often don't know if I'm coming or going.

My friends ask, "Craig, how do you do it all? Aren't you afraid you'll burn out?" What they really mean is, Are you sure you're not heading for the psych ward?

I can say with all honesty that my job and my family are never burdens. Sometimes I get tired. But I'm nowhere near burnout.

Why? Because this is what God created me to do. I have no doubt about it. I'm wired for this. This is the vision God put in me. And when God gives you His vision, He also gives you the ability to get it done. When you're living God's vision for your life, you spring out of bed with excitement. When someone asks if you like what you do, you shout "I love it!"

But, Craig, you might ask, will God give me a vision?

Absolutely. I'm certain of it. In fact, the Bible tells us that vision is critical to our very survival:

KEY THOUGHT

"Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:19 KJV).

This is the most important statement from Scripture that I will quote in this book. It's so important, in fact, that it is the source of the book's title.

Without Chazown

The word "vision" comes from the Hebrew word chazown (pronounced khaw-ZONE). Not to be confused with cassonas, which is Spanish for underwear. Chazown starts with a letter that doesn't exist in English. It's not the ch sound in "cheesecake." You pronounce it by making a hacking sound at the back of your throat, like you're hocking and getting ready to spit.

Try it. Say khaw-ZONE.

And again. Cha-ZOWN.

Well, you'll get better with practice. (Incidentally, you may need to wipe off the page before you go on.) But more important than the pronunciation is the word's meaning. It means "dream" or "revelation" or "vision."

You'll notice that Chazown is frequently represented in this book by a spiral, or swirl. It stands for the energy, focus, and creativity that are released when you pursue your personal vision.

Cha-ZOWN.

Where there is no Chazown-no dream, no revelation, no vision, no sense of our created purpose-we perish.

Where there is no vision that you were created to have a growing, lifelong, and personal relationship with your Creator, your inner being withers and dies.

Where there is no vision that you have been placed on earth to matter deeply to other people, and reveal God's love and power to them, you live in loneliness and your relationships perish.

Where there is no vision for a godly family, you have a 50 percent chance of ending up divorced.

Where there is no vision that your body is the temple of God's Spirit-property on loan from Him-your physical health slips away. Your exuberance fades.

Where there is no vision for a financially wise lifestyle, you can live in the richest country on earth and still be drowning in debt.

Where there is no vision for meaningful work, people live for five o'clock. They really just exist. Their goal is to survive-to pay bills, stay married, keep the kids out of jail .

But you and I were made for so much more.

Imagine. Three decades after his death, Dr. King's dream-at the time that's all it was-is still impacting lives. His dream continues to change how we see each other, who we sit with at dinner, what we hope for, what we're willing to die for.

One man with one God-given dream.

What if God gave you such a dream, such a Chazown? What if your life continued to change the world even after you died?

Imagine one God-come-to-earth man with one dream. Two thousand years after Jesus' death and resurrection, the world is still reeling from the shock of grace. We still stagger at the gift of endless life, of absolute forgiveness, of salvation-undeserved, unasked for, unpaid for, freely given. What Jesus accomplished by living out the Father's vision for His life is beyond words. And yet so simple, so perfectly clear.

Listen to what Jesus Himself said about His purpose:

"The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:10). Don't distract Me with anything else.

"No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord This command I received from my Father" (John 10:18). He, and He alone, determines My life mission.

"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). My purpose is crystal clear.

You'd have to agree-Jesus understood God's Chazown, for which He was sent. He could have quit at any time. Everyone else would have.

Yet He never turned aside. Never turned back.

Never. Imagine. One disciple with one dream. The apostle Paul wasn't the Son of God. He wasn't perfect. (I think he wasn't even likable some of the time.) But he had the same kind of clarity about his mission.

"I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace" (Acts 20:24).

Imagine one disciple. Imagine you.

What is your mission on this earth?

What has God designed you uniquely to do?

When you get a vision for what God has in mind for your life, things change. A lot.

Four Gifts

The first thing that will happen is that the vision God gives you will bring focus to your life. You'll know exactly what you're here to do.

When you begin to understand what you're supposed to do, you can better discern what you're not supposed to do. And this is important, because other people also have plans for your life. I can't count the number of good opportunities and invitations I receive from people. But good opportunities shouldn't distract from thebetter and the great. And because of the focus of my vision, I say respectfully over and over again, "I'm sorry. I just don't do that because that's not in line with the vision that God has given me."

The same is true for you. Every day you will have many opportunities to be distracted with "good" things. Chazown gives you the ability to say no to good things and say yes to great things.

With Chazown also comes endurance. God's plan is certain to include some tough times. Jesus assured us, "In this world you will have trouble" (John 16:33).

My wife, Amy, has given birth to six kids, with several pregnancies requiring extended bed rest. And every time, I am amazed that she is able to endure it. I don't know of one lady who thinks, I'd like to gain thirty pounds. My body parts aren't big enough. Let's make some of them bigger. And I definitely want varicose veins and a bad case of gas. And at the end, I want to know what it feels like to push a cantaloupe through a garden hose!

But when I ask Amy how she does it, she answers, "Craig, it's the picture I have of holding that little baby when it's all over."

With Chazown comes peace. How many people do you know who are wracked with anxiety over their identity, their purpose, their significance? With vision, when you wake up you know who you are and why you're here.

Several months ago, I was going to officiate a wedding for some friends. Their wedding was at a house that I had never visited. Although Amy and I left with time to spare, it wasn't until we were midway there that I realized I had left the map at home. Because the wedding was close to starting, everyone had turned off their cell phones. I had no way to contact anyone and no map to find the house. I was lost.

Oh, did I mention that my anxiety level was pegged at a ten? The right map would have brought me complete peace.

The same is true for you. If you are living your Chazown, you will live in peace. You will know that you are making the proper turns in life at the proper times to end up at the desired destination. (About the wedding: Eventually we stumbled upon the house by accident, very late and very embarrassed. In time, though, to pronounce them man and wife. At least they'll have a good story to pass down to their kids.)

Finally, with Chazown comes passion. You show me a person who has no motivation in life, and I'll show you a person who has no vision. Every single time.

All great people are filled with great passion.

Years ago, several British ministers asked the famous nineteenth-century evangelist D. L. Moody why his ministry was so effective. This was a fair question. You see, Moody would have been considered poorly educated at best.

(Continues.)