Communicate the Vision, How and What

In my continued study of leadership, and right now spiritual leadership, I have found as noted that the role of the spiritual leader is to communicate the revelation of God. Remembering that vision of the spiritual leader is not his own, but that which is received from the LORD as pertains to His agenda. The next thing to think of is how and what exactly to communicate.

Let’s start with how. In short, communicating the vision, rather revelation of the LORD should be done continually. Think of the old saying, “out of sight, out of mind”. Whereas I am not sure who said it originally, it is very fitting as relates to the vision of any organization, including the church. Too often, a vision is created, stated, and placed on the wall somewhere. For a brief time, there is a laser on the vision (really just because it is new) and then it fades and becomes another forgotten trend of the moment. Those that have staying power and are remembered and worked are those that are mentioned continually. At The Bridge Fellowship (our church), the vision is stated at every service and any time the work of the church is mentioned.

Now, what is it that is communicated. Well, to start with, the words should be stated. It is important for the people to know the words as they do have meaning. And then, once the words are stated, the history, present, and future should be related to the words.

Start with what has been accomplished in the past. Communicate stories of what the organization has done relating to the vision. Pronounce to the organization the wins of yesterday to get us to today. Next, speak of what is being accomplished today. When it comes to the vision and the organization, what is being done right now to live out and work toward that which is found in the vision. And then, show what the future would look like as the vision continues to be accomplished. What does tomorrow’s success present as wins.

Communication of the vision of God is our role, and now we see that there is a method to that communication and not just that it is announced. How and what to communicate present the vision in a way that it is shown to be alive and will remain alive when we are working toward it for the benefit of the Lord. Remember the new definition of spiritual leadership from Henry and Richard Blackaby:

“Spiritual leadership is moving people on to God’s agenda.”

We get there by receiving God’s vision and communicating that vision continually and through stories of the past, present, and future.

How and what are you communicating the vision the LORD has revealed? Are you mentioning it once and then expecting it to find root and grow? What if you were continually speaking the vision and calling our the wins of the past, present, and future to demonstrate how it is alive?

Spiritual Leaders Role with the Vision

Buying in to the revelation of God is where the vision comes to life. But here is the thing with the revelation of God, it cannot be forced upon another. I cannot be given an edict from someone else and expect to carry it out blindly, that is compliance and not commitment or buying in. As I have written based on my study, the buy in comes from our receiving the revelation of God for ourselves and following the will of Him.

The question asked by Henry and Richard Blackaby is this: “How are you helping others grow in their relationship with God?” Well, how are you and what does that mean to the others? For me it is by discipling. First understanding what discipling is and next sharing that with others so they will understand and then share themselves. This is helping others to find the LORD through study and learning and thereby opening them up to receive the revelations of God for their lives.

So, the role of the spiritual leader with the vision is communication. As a spiritual leader, we are to share the gospel and the revelation that we have received. Not to command others to follow us, but to lead others to follow God. Our role is to bring others into the family of God as witnesses for Him, not to convert them, but to allow for God to reveal to them His glory, His agenda, and His will for them.

“¹⁸And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” – Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)

What do you believe your role to be as a spiritual leader? Are you to deliver and expect all to follow your vision? What if you were to bring the people to God for His glory, agenda, and will to be revealed to them by Him?

How do We Buy In to the Vision

I am sure that most have been part of an organization that espouses some vision of the future. I know that the organizations I have been a part of sure have. The thing is, I am only able to remember and follow really only one of them. All of the others I could not see the benefit to me. I was not bought into the vision as there was nothing in it for me.

Now, the one that I can remember and buy into is the vision of our church. The vision of the Bridge Fellowship in Boerne, Texas is this: “We long to see a gospel movement that reaches every person of the Hill Country and is carried to the ends of the earth.” This vision is derived from the words of Jesus as He ascends to Heaven.

“⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” – Acts 1:8 (ESV)

Now, how is it that I get behind something that is taken from somewhere else. Well, because it is inspired by God. It is His vision and we are taking it on as ours. It has been revealed to be the work to expand the kingdom of God. I am bringing the gospel to others so that they will have that which I do. I win when my brothers and sisters are there with me. I benefit therefor I am behind it. I buy in thanks to the reward in heaven for my work.

Visions are a dime a dozen and as I have noted above, I have had my share of them. But the visions fade when there is nothing in it for me. It is the revelation that comes from the LORD that drives the work to get behind. Buy in is easy when the benefit is known and understood.

What is your buy in to vision? Do you even know the vision of the organization you are a part? What if you knew the vision was from God and the benefit to you was clear, wouldn’t that be the revelation you would buy into?

Vision or Revelation Which is it for You

As a Christian, I receive my direction from the LORD. As a spiritual leader, I receive my vision from the LORD. That vision comes in the form of revelation. As I read this morning in my MasterWork study of spiritual leadership, I find that, “Vision is something people produce, revelation is something people receive.”

Each of us has work to perform that comes from God. We may not know exactly what the final result of the work will be, but we do know that it brings glory to God. Our role is to do that which is assigned. Notice my words above that the work “comes from God” and we are “to do that which is assigned”. We I look at the difference in vision and revelation from the Blackabys, I really start to understand those words I wrote. I am to do the work assigned, or revealed to me by God for His glory.

“¹⁸Without revelation people run wild,” — Proverbs 29:18a (CSB)

It is possible for people to create a vision that will produce results in this world, and that is what secular leaders are out to achieve, results in this world. But notice the verse above from Proverbs, that it is revelation that should be sought and not vision. The vision may produce the results in this world, but it is like boating without a rudder. There is just wild movements and not able to achieve the ending that the LORD has planned. A lot of work happening, but no lasting heavenly results to account.

As a spiritual leader, I am to “walk closely with the Father” to be “keenly aware of His revelation and are ready to respond in obedience to His initiatives”. It is in this close walk that the LORD will reveal to me His plan for me and my actions to forward His gospel to His glory.

For me it is revelation that I seek and not vision. I am looking to do the work of the Father and look to Him for that work to be revealed.

Where are you getting your direction? Are you creating a vision to carry you forward? What if instead you sought revelation to carry the LORD’s work forward?

Vision: Needed, But From Where is it Coming

It is pretty widely known and accepted that for an organization to move forward, that organization should have a vision of where to go. But, where does that vision come from? According to Henry and Richard Blackaby, it will come from “Duplicating Success, Vanity, Need, Available Resources, Leader-Driven”. A case can be made for each of them, and even as I contemplate each of them, a place to start with a vision can be had from any of them.

The organization needs a north star, if you will, to guide them. A vision can and will do that, but is it leading to the right place, that is the question. Let’s start with “Duplicating Success”. New organizations, will take the success of previous or even alternate organizations and put in place a vision based on that success and model. Where the vision was effective for that organization, it may not be the right vision for the new. Just because it worked once, does not mean that it will work again.

Next, we have “Vanity”. This vision is driven by the one to gain notoriety for himself as the purveyor of the vision. The attitude that “I put this in place and am driving the organization forward” approach. This is an organization, not a sole-proprietorship. There needs to be mass buy-in as opposed to edict from the one.

What about “Need”? Looking at the constituent landscape and determining the need and driving the organization based on that need. What a noble approach, solving the problem in the area. But what about the long term. Seems to me that the organization that seek to meet a specific need, loses focus as the need gets close to being met.

And then we have the “Available Resources”. This is the approach of looking at your organization and seeing what you have at your disposal and working with what you have to drive what you will do. This is not the same as using the resources you have to accomplish your vision, but rather setting the vision based on what you have available.

And finally, from the Blackabys we have “Leader-Driven”. This one to me is where we should be, but it is not one man as the leader providing the vision. Yes, there is one man at the top of the organization, but is the one man the premier authority? Where the motives of the one man may be sound and wholesome, is this the approach of spiritual leadership as designed by God?

Paul knew of the challenges which faced the leaders of the church. He knew that there would always be a tendency for the one to drive the direction of the many. Now there may be the one who is driving, it is not for the one to decide on the direction to go or path to take. It is this “one” who, unless fully dependent and obedient to God, who will decide on the vision based on the five places noted above.

“²⁰Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” – 1 Corinthians 1:20-21 (ESV)

As for spiritual leadership, It is from God where vision should come. We should not be moving on our own accord but should be working toward the goal of the LORD as He provides and directs.

Where is your vision coming from? Are you looking to one of the five places above? What if you were to take your direction from the LORD and allow Him to provide and guide you?