Welcome to another week of Transformation Leadership Series (TLS). We have defined vision in earlier instalments of this series and also looked at its etymology and components, and its connection to the supernatural realm. Last week we discussed 20 important reasons why vision is needed for an individual life, in an organization, family or for a nation. Today we will go on to consider other aspects of vision from a biblical standpoint.
Vision Leads to Possession
Vision implies sight—either physically with physical eyes or mentally via the faculty of the mind. One aspect of the etymology of vision is “something seen in the imagination or in the supernatural”. An imagination is mental sight and so is a thought or meditation.
The etymology of imagination is the “faculty of the mind which forms and manipulates images”.[1] Imagination is defined as, “The power or faculty of the mind by which it conceives and forms ideas of things communicated to it by the organs of sense…it involves:
- Conception; image in the mind; idea.
- Contrivance; scheme formed in the mind; device.”[2]
According to Romans 4:13, the world was willed to Abraham and His Seed. Abraham is one of the leaders in the Christian faith. How did Abraham become the possessor of the world? The simple answer is, by spiritual sight. He got what he saw.
Genesis 13:14-15 (AMPC)
14 The Lord said to Abram after Lot had left him, Lift up now your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;
15 For all the land which you see I will give to you and to your posterity forever. [Act 7:5]
Abraham understood that vision has a direct impact on what a man receives from God. A man can only receive from God what he has seen in the spirit. Its only the land (things) we see that God will give to us, not what we do not see. The same goes for transfer of anointings, mantles and positions—all tools of leadership.
2 Kings 2:9-10 (AMPC)
9 And when they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you. And Elisha said, I pray you, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.
10 He said, You have asked a hard thing. However, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you--but if not, it shall not be so.
Elisha wanted to be the head prophet when Elijah left and thus asked for the senior position (double portion) amongst the people in the school of prophets. Elijah responded and said this inheritance and transference could only be effected by vision. If Elijah could SEE his transfiguration and rapture, then he would have Elijah’s place and mantle. When Elijah was taken up, though the other members of the school of the prophets were spectating, they did not see Elijah picked up and hurled away by chariots of fire. It is the one who SAW who took over Elijah’s mantle and position of leadership.
Vision Dictates Our Reality
Proverbs 23:7 (AMPC) For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…
Mental vision of ourselves and state (how we see ourselves) shapes our reality. Leaders need to have a healthy picture of what it means to lead. They also need to have a God-view picture of themselves. Having a poor picture of oneself translates into one’s way of living and leading.
Matthew 6:22-23 (AMPC)
22 The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is sound, your entire body will be full of light.
23 But if your eye is unsound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the very light in you [your conscience] is darkened, how dense is that darkness!
The preceding verses claim that the condition of the human body is dictated by vision or the state of our eyes.
Vision Influences Reproductivity
After man was created, he was commissioned thus, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, ...” Genesis 1:28 (KJV). TO replenish is to refill or reproduce. Reproduction is affected by what we see—vision. Reproduction is also the production of offspring by a sexual or asexual process. That said, let us consider what happens to the process of reproduction when intercepted by vision.
Genesis 30:38-39 (AMPC)
38 Then he set the rods which he had peeled in front of the flocks in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred and conceived when they came to drink,
39 The flocks bred and conceived in sight of the rods and brought forth lambs and kids streaked, speckled, and spotted.
When animals looked at stripped and speckled wood branches, they ended up reproducing after what they saw—and not their kind. All brown sheep gave birth to lambs that were speckled or spotted. What they saw, affected what they gave birth to. As a leader what have you been called to give birth to and what would you have your legacy be? The end product or legacy or offspring can be affected by what you see, so set your sights on the right thing(s).
Vision Promotes Success
Joshua 1:8 (AMPC) This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.
There is good success and bad success. God has left it up to you which you would have. Good success is predicated on meditation or mental sight set on God or His Word. When this sight is set on the Dragon, fear, worry etc., it will lead to bad things happening.
Job 3:25 (KJV) For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
Fear comes by imagining (seeing) the worst happening. What then must we see as believers in Christ?
Vision Unlocks the Unseen
2 Corinthians 4:18 (KJV) While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
We live in a universe which has both seen and unseen realities and dimensions. The very etymology of vision is “something seen in the imagination or in the supernatural”—not seen physically. There is a natural and a supernatural side to this world. That which is seen is temporal but the unseen is eternal. Apostle Paul in this section of scripture is talking about seeing with the spiritual eyes vis-à-vis seeing with physical eyes—looking at things which are unseen (spiritual things which need to be pulled into physical reality). The unseen is first apprehended by sight or vision. Once apprehended, they can be possessed. Like in a fortune 500 company, the leader saw first and then s/he formed a company and possessed what he saw.
Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Correlation Between Vision and Spiritual Warfare
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (KJV)
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Notice after the word strongholds is a semi colon, a punctuation mark that separates major sentence elements. The elements of spiritual strongholds include imaginations, thoughts, computations and reasonings “that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God”.
Vision is neither positive nor negative. What gives it substance is what the vision is focused on. If the vision humbles itself to the knowledge of God, it leads to life and peace but when it exalts itself against the knowledge of God, it leads to death.
Romans 8:6 NASB For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
The power and faculty of the mind, what it focuses on, what it sees, imagines, meditates on has the ability to transform our lives for good or bad.
Romans 12:2 (KJV) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Transformation is possible and it involves the faculty of the mind. This is why the Holy Scriptures tells us what to focus our vision (thoughts) on for the best results.
Philippians 4:8 (AMPC) For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].
