MARCH 11, 2019
LEADERSHIP, VISION & FAITH
In the pursuit of the fulfilment of vision, it is important to be directed by a clear vision, know your potential for fulfilling vision, develop a concrete plan and possess the passion of vision as per the late Dr. Myles Munroe’s “Twelve Principles for Fulfilling Personal Vision” stated within his book, “The Principles and Power of Vision: Keys to Achieving Personal and Corporate Destiny. But all the above principles will not amount to much if leaders or visionaries do not pay heed to the 5th principle: Develop the Faith of Vision.
VISION & ABRAHAM
In TLS 86, we learned that vision is a consequence of inspiration. And in TLS 85, we learned from Webster’s 1828 dictionary that the definition of inspiration includes the infusion of ideas or directions by a deity or spirit. What does this have to do with developing the FAITH of VISION?
The Jewish Patriarch Abraham is commonly known as the “father of faith”. This faith was fueled by his ability to see (have visions) into the future. He would be infused with ideas or directions by God and he would act on them—not because he saw the fulfilment in the physical but rather in the spirit (or vision realm).
A vision is a clear comprehensive photograph of what an organization hopes to be and do in the future. It describes the ultimate end of an organization from its beginning. The future is not in the present so how does one see what is in the future? The answer is by FAITH.
THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM
Romans 4:17 (AMPC) As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed. [Gen 17:5]
In Genesis 12-1-4, Abraham received a vision—being promised by God via inspiration nonexistent things that GOD foretold as if they already existed. What were some of these things he was promised in the vision? They are:
- Go [for your own advantage] away from your country, from your relatives and your father's house, to the land that I will show you
- I will make of you a great nation
- I will bless you with abundant increase of favors
- I will make your name famous and distinguished
- You will be a blessing dispensing good to others
- I will bless those who bless you [who confer prosperity or happiness upon you]
- I will curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you
- In you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed [and by you they will bless themselves]
Much of the striving in the world today is so that man and woman would get these aforementioned blessings. Imagine getting a vision inspired by a spirit you know nothing of. The spirit promises you all the above but gives you no assurances. The only assurance Abraham had was faith (See Hebrews 11:1 in AMPC). Would you have obeyed this vision if you were in Abraham’s shoes?? Would you have followed it especially when you did not know this God? Abraham obeyed! It took faith. Abraham left his physical predictable home looking for a city that was not part of the physical creation.
Hebrews 11:10 (AMPC) For he was [waiting expectantly and confidently] looking forward to the city which has fixed and firm foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God.
Did Abraham find it? Yes he is there now. He eventually found it. He had faith for the vision. It is that faith that allowed him to see the unseeable. Those who succeed in this world have learnt to use their spirit sense of vision / sight accompanied by faith. They have learnt to see the invisible. Leadership requires faith—seeing the unseen—and the ability to be guided by that unseen reality.
2 Corinthians 4:18 (AMPC) Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting.
Once upon a time, Bill Gates had a vision to put portable computers in every home but when he was dreaming this, such computers did not exist. He had faith for his vision and today that vision is a reality. Thomas Edison had a vision for a long-lasting lightbulb when as yet there were none in existence. He had faith for his vision and today that vision is a reality. Imagine a world without long lasting light bulbs. These men saw what nobody else could see because what they saw did not exist at the time they saw it. They believed what manifested in the physical realm. It took faith, tenacity and determination. It took not being disobedient to the vision. Like Paul said to one King in Acts 26:19 “I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision”. Paul’s secret in life was he was not disobedient to what he saw in the vision ream but pursued it with all he had. Nobody ever achieved anything of significance without being able to see into the vision realm. Hebrews chapter 11 is known by some as the Hall of Fame of faith. It speaks of men like Enoch, Noah and Abraham and tells us that it took faith for them to be history makers. Faith enables you to see what physical vision cannot see. It continues where our physical senses end. And we needed it to see into the future and to bring the future into the now.
Hebrews 11:1 (AMPC) NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
Without faith it is impossible to please God because you will be limited to your physical senses. God is spirit and he prefers to relate with your spiritual senses. The process of vision is a spirit one. To succeed at it, one needs FAITH.
