When I was offered the opportunity to review Chazown through Multnomah Waterbrook’s Blogging for Books program, I debated over whether I wanted to take it.  The book’s tagline is “Define your vision.  Pursue your passion.  Live your life on purpose.” I thought that it would either be really good…or it would be modern business-world psychobabble wrapped up in pretty Christian-sounding words.  While it does make use of some standard productivity methods (because they work!), it is, fortunately, much, much more than that.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, and found it to be very well done.

Uncover a Vision

The foundational concept of Chazown is vision.  The Bible says that “for lack of vision, the people perish.”  That word “vision,” in Hebrew, is “chazown.”  Rather than being focused on creating a vision, through our own efforts, the focus here is very much on discovering God’s vision for each of us – not in a generic, “live a godly life” sort of way, but in a very specific, “what did God create me to do” kind of way.

The method used to walk the reader through this process is both God-dependent and non-formulaic (“Ask God what His vision is for your life.”) and systematic (“Follow these steps to see if God’s vision for you is already apparent.”)

Finding Your Own “Sweet Spot”

The systematic part is clear and logical.  One at a time, the author walks the reader through the process of identifying his:

1) core values,
2) spiritual gifts, and
3) life experiences.

All of these things are shaped by God; they are not our doing!   We are not creating anything here, we are only recognizing it.

When this is done, we are urged to examine whether there is a place where all three of these areas overlap.  This “sweet spot” is where we likely see what God has in mind for the unique life and person He has created each of us to be.  (Unfortunately, this is also the part where I have the greatest difficulty.  I can identify what belongs in each of the three “circles,” but I can’t identify the area of overlap.  I think I will need to get some outside help for that, because it’s one of those “can’t see the forest for the trees” things.)  There are online tools to help with this portion, as well.

This process of discovery – and writing down a summarizing purpose statement, to keep the vision before us continually – takes about the first half of the book.

Living the Vision

The second half talks about setting goals so we have concrete plans for moving forward in those things we know we should be doing.  It also talks about five foundational areas – relationship with God, relationships with people, financial health, physical health, and work life – that will affect our ability to carry out the vision.

Throughout the book, there are pointed questions designed to prompt introspection and prayer.  It is very practical (always a plus, in my book!)  The writing style is very personable/approachable.

And, perhaps one of the most pleasant surprises, given the general thesis of the book, is that those of us whose life work is unpaid are not given short shrift.  Most goal/vision/purpose-related books suggest that we all need to be doing something that is great by the world’s standards, or we don’t have the “right” goals or the “right” vision.  This author respects and appreciates my role as a wife to my husband and mother to my children, and doesn’t suggest that there must necessarily be more to what I should be doing.  (He doesn’t suggest that there can’t be, but he doesn’t suggest that there must be.)

I’m glad I took a chance on this book.  There is a good balance here between trusting and doing, and an appropriate use of productivity skills, without ignoring the need for God’s work in our lives.  I wouldn’t consider it a must-read, but I would consider it a probably-beneficial read for just about any Christian adult.

 

Disclosure: I was provided by Multnomah with a copy of this book, free of charge, for review purposes.  All opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.