Proverbs 29:18 – This verse is being used by the “prosperity lite” motivational speaker type of preachers. This verse is not talking about how to follow your dreams to your destiny and find your purpose. This doctrine reduces God to a means to achieving your goals for happiness and success.
The problem is that first of all it relies heavily on the King James version translations for the words “vision’ (chazown) and perish, and second, this is only half of the verse! The full verse in the ESV says Where there is no prophetic vision (the Word of God) the people cast off restraint,[a] but blessed is he who keeps the law.
a-Proverbs 29:18 Or the people are discouraged
This verse is saying that without the guidance of and obedience to the law of God, people lose their moral compass. But that concept isn’t as attractive as talking about God giving you dreams and if you just follow them He will bless you.
Pastors Like Craig Groeschel and Chris Hodges- who run the biggest megachurches in the country, can’t interpret the Bible correctly. And this verse was the center of the sermon Michael Todd gave when he did the “spit in your friends eye” stunt. Be wiser than them! Don’t fall for it!
This video by The Messed up Church really breaks it down!