Vision Boards & What is a Christian Visionary? | Warning

Updated – April 8th, 2022

Answering Criticism On This Post – If you would like a breakdown of vision boards specifically and their various components like affirmations, mantras, positive thinking, its connection to the occult and the New Age etc. – see this post: Vision Board Breakdown: Should Christians Ever Use One? The post you are reading now will cover some basic terms in relation to vision boards, how Christians should look at the future and goal planning. Highly recommend clicking on this link, if you want to know more in-depth what a vision board is, its components, what parts of goal planning are acceptable, and why Christians REALLY need to be careful, that’s why I wrote up the second post.
                     – The criticism I received dealt with people not seeing how serious a vision board is. I knew I needed a second post to answer in-depth what was not covered here. So I dove into the roots of a vision board, what makes up a vision board, and what does not make up a vision board. I then responded to the common criticisms in this post that I received with the information I presented in the second post.   🙂  

I didn’t want to write this post, but I greatly see the need for it. I want you to be well informed, it is crucial that you are. I tried to put decent headers and highlights for my readers who skim. 

With the start of the new year, many people have a lot of goals and things they would like to accomplish, start, and own by the end of the year. I recently saw a video suggestion on creating a vision board. (A physical board with images of things we want to accomplish/have.)

I contemplated making one (not clicking on the video). Within less than 24 hours, however, I saw a Christian woman I respect warn against vision boards and visualization.  This led me to learn about the Law Of Attraction, which is the idea to manifest our own reality through our will. As a Christian, it is why I am discussing the topic today. I didn’t know about this. (For a breakdown on Law of Attraction, please see: What Is Law of Attraction | Bite-Sized)

My hope is that this post helps us all be encouraged to test and question every secular practice that comes into our life, even things we might think are innocent. That we know what the word of God says and can give an answer to everything. 

One of the first things I want to say is I’m not talking about inspiration boards that comprise only of scriptures, quotes, etc. Vision boards are the ones with plans to achieve goals and successes in life with the intention of stopping at nothing until they are achieved. 

Ignorance Of New Age Teaching In Vision Boards 

A promise that we can manifest and get what we want. Some Christians, like myself, are completely ignorant of this teaching. But I know better now, and I do not want you to be deceived with the roots of this practice. 

Vision– something seen through the powers of the mind (like an idea or concept). Something seen in a spiritual sense (revelation, dream, spirit, etc) 

Visionary– Someone who fantasizes about impractical or imaginary things. Someone who sees the future.

• In modern society, people who are visionaries are often referred to as those who have plans to accomplish what they desire. People who dream big, and often make good leaders. Some view visionaries as very powerful people.
• There are Christians who also use the term referring to a leader who can organize, see the big picture, and encourage others to get going for the Kingdom of God. A Christian Visionary will be addressed a little later in the post.

Vision Board– This is a physical board with pictures of things (relationships, jobs, money, etc) people desire to have and want to accomplish. People focus intently looking at the images and try to will themselves to get what they want. This is done through purifying the environment, saying mantras, saying affirmations, making realistic goals, envisioning the future and more.  (To understand mantras, affirmations, and when/what kind of goal planning is acceptable see the second post covering vision boards in-depth.)

The scary part is vision boards can and DO work for people, but please understand it is NOT a godly practice. Getting what we want does not mean it is from God. The roots of a vision board are wicked and evil, coming from the occult. We need to seek Christ and His will in our life over anything else. 

(NIV) Mark 8:36, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

Demonic Distractions & Legalism 

Satan doesn’t care if we get what we want out of life. All he cares about is that we stay torn away from Christ and the truth that sets us free. If we get “healed” through ungodly ways, if we get what we want through ungodly means, Satan is all for it. He comes to steal, kill, and to destroy.

As long as we burn in Hell, Satan doesn’t care what keeps us there. Be focused on anything else, except the truth of Jesus Christ, how He alone saves, and how He alone needs to be our anchor. Vision Boards can make us feel like we have control over the future. 

Type in “vision board” in the YouTube search bar and see what pops up or “vision board origins” in your search engine. It’s concerning.

One major point I hope you take away from this post is that on the surface, many activities may appear to be okay. A lot of false teaching will appear like the fruit did to Eve, appetizing and attractive to our senses. (2 Corinthians 11:01)

What seems harmless, like making a board of pictures, goals, and desires has some deep roots. It is those roots, I want you to be aware of as a Christian. 

If you would like to understand how legalistic and how binding a vision board can be, how this goes against God’s word, against what Jesus Christ has done, answering criticisms, and what aspects of goal planning ARE ok – please check out my second post on Vision Boards & their breakdown. – Vision Board Breakdown: Should Christians Ever Use One?

The Law Of Attraction is the idea that our thoughts and feelings can manipulate energy and give us what we want. If we think negatively, then bad things happen. If we think positive then good things happen. We essentially have the power to create our own reality or destiny. We can get whatever we want. This same train of thought also leads people to think health problems happen because the individual is at fault.

• Post | What Is Law of Attraction | Bite-Sized
• Post | Do I Have My Disability/Disease/Illness Because My Faith Is Too Little?

The World Values Visionaries 

People who are worldly visionaries are focused on self-fulfillment, success, and power. Three traits the world deeply values. Profit, gain, and selfishness. The Law of Attraction is being sold throughout the world, even if people do not know the teaching. Meditate and focus on what you want, and you will get it – this is the Law of Attraction or LOA for short.  

A visionary gets what they want done for themselves. Anything ending in gain. However, the Christian puts the will of God first, even if it goes against everyone else and a profiting plan.

In a way, a Christian visionary can appear to be more impractical than a worldly visionary. We may have a plan but God often changes what we think will happen. Visionaries keep to their plans to achieve their goals. But a Christian visionary follows whatever path God places them on no matter how difficult. A Christian accepts God’s plans are not her plans, and therefore changes may need to happen. Contentment is not found in riches, relationships, or self-fulfillment, but Christ alone.

In my own personal conviction, I do not like the word visionary. However, I understand godly men and women do use this term. 

With God’s plan, there are no short cuts. If God wants to remove a mountain, He will. But if He wants us to climb up the mountain instead, He will be with us, and we must do what He wants. 

Consider a Biblical Christian Visionary: 

• focuses on what God wants
• seeks direction in prayer (Phillippians 4:06) 
• is willing to change direction as God’s ways are not man’s ways
• looks at goals with eternal purposes (2 Corinthians 4:18)
• reflects the fruit of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, self-control, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, kindness, and patience) (Matthew 7:20)
• does nothing that benefits/serves self-gain but the body of Christ (Phillippians 2:04)
• actions & plans are to edify, benefit, & encourage the church body giving glory to God (1 Corinthians 14:12)

The Lord does give us the desires of our hearts, but these desires are all focused on an eternal goal, not a temporal one. These desires will have a connection to Jesus, they will be about Christ in some way.  

(NIV) Titus 2:12, “It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age..”

(NIV) 1 Timothy 6:09, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”

How Should Christians View The Future?

There are scriptures regarding our life and what our “vision” for our life should look like. Note: Through Jesus Christ, we die to our own flesh, and live as He showed us. 

• God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts do not reflect our own thoughts. – Isaiah 55:08, 65:02
• The righteous walk in the ways of the Lord. – Hosea 14:09, Proverbs 23:26, Malachi 2:09
• We are to examine our ways and test them, turning to God’s ways. – Lamentations 3:40, Haggai 1:05
• A hopeful future (eternity) awaits those who are blameless and walk upright. – Proverbs 37:37
• We need to consider our actions, whether they reflect Jesus, and how that relates to our future (Heaven or Hell) – Lamentations 1:09 
• We are not to worry about tomorrow (the future).- Matthew 6:34 
• We should not boast about the future because we do not know what will happen. – Proverbs 27:01
• We need to seek God’s will, acknowledge it, on our future and everything we do. – James 4:13-15, Proverbs 3:06

Holding Everything Up In Light Of Scripture

Vision boards and worldly visionaries are only the tip of the iceberg. Scripture says to test everything. Here is what to keep in mind with secular practices:

• are people drawing closer to Jesus through this?
• are you seeing fruit of the Holy Spirit being produced?
• is there anything that promotes self-gain or anything against what Jesus teaches?
• how do others talk about the topic? what do they promote?
• look up keywords related to what you are researching. what does scripture say about these words?
• what do godly people that you trust say about these things?

We can have goals and plans. We can have ideas. It’s possible God changes the paths we think we should be on. Always go to prayer and ask the Lord. There are many beautiful testimonies of God showing others what His plan was for them, despite what they thought. My sister in Christ, Olivia, has a powerful one.

I pray what God taught me and showed me could benefit you, encourage you to know what scripture says and to seek the Lord on these matters and your walk with Him. To God be the glory!

References:

What Is The Law Of Attraction by Got Questions article

*Is The Law of Attraction Biblical by What Christians Want To Know article

The video that ministered to me by Doreen Virtue – Why Christians Should Avoid Vision Boards, Visualization, or Vision Casting. 

More info on Law of Attraction & Word of Faith – The Shocking Truth About The Law Of Attraction & Word Of Faith 

Monthly Scripture- (NIV) Psalm 85:01, “You, LORD, showed favor to Your land; You restored the fortunes of Jacob.”

Community Prayer Requests | January ’20– Join us in requesting prayer, praying for each other and lifting each other up. 

Believer Handbook

Second Blog: Peeking Beneath