Few would argue that a well though-out vision for what the future could be “if” is an essential and important component of any successful organizations effectiveness. Without a clear direction in which to travel, we will either go nowhere at all or go nowhere important. Despite this, there are very few organizations which possess a clearly expressed and memorable vision - one which can be understood and embraced by all who work in it or support it. Why? How can something so fundamental be so misunderstood?

Let me share with you what I believe to be the root causes of “blurry” vision, or no vision at all.

We’ve all heard it, “Leaders must cast the vision”. But what is vision and where does it come from.

While not one to dispute the claims of Scripture that there are gifts, given by God to those who will serve, The “gift” of vision is generally not among them. Oh, it’s true that Scripture records those times when God communicated directly or indirectly with a man, essentially giving that individual a fully formed vision of the future He had in mind, but those times were rare then and are equally rare today.
Even in the case of Moses, whose attention was drawn to a peculiar “bush”, it warrants reminder that God “gave” His vision to a man who had previously demonstrated a heart - if not the proper procedure – for liberating the future nation of Israel. And about this Joseph fellow, and his visions of barley sheaves and celestial bodies, even he must have wondered quite frequently about them during the ensuing years. One can only wonder at the number of sleepless nights Joseph spent in regret. Regret for his hasty and perhaps haughty presentation of such dreams to his siblings and father. Today, the “gift of vision” myth is still alive and doing well. It may even live in your church or your men’s ministry. We speak of men who are visionaries. Some speak with admiration, as if per chance they themselves could never possess vision. Others speak almost with reverence, as if the “visionary” was some minor divinity.

Let me say this clearly and as gently as possible. Vision is generally not a gift - dumped by the “Author and Perfector of our faith” - into someone’s lap, or delivered fully-formed into their mind one evening while they slumber. What most men refuse to see is that vision is most usually the result of many days, many weeks, and often many years, in the “trenches” of life. Workable and memorable vision generally finds its roots in the sweat and toil of a man who was busy. Busy doing, risking, learning, growing, and exploring. When others say that “Joe is a man of vision” and they “wish they had Joe’s visionary abilities, what they are usually admitting, is that they have never really done the long and difficult work to discover the needs around them, and then seeks God’s favor and guidance in meeting those needs. The next time an individual speaks admiringly of so-and-so’s visionary leadership, you might want to inquire if that individual would be willing to pay the price, work the work, and risk the risks that so and so already has. Because it is generally by doing that we discover what is needed. To “discover” or “remove the covering from” implies work, doesn’t it. When an archeological team discovers something, they have often spent seemingly fruitless years mounding up piles of sand and rubble, only to find nothing they were looking for. But in that process, they learned lessons about digging, and about perseverance, and about where not to look. Discovery takes hard work and lots of risk. The same is true of your vision for men’s ministry in your church or your district, or in the country as a whole. Once you’ve begun the work which is at hand to do, you will begin to see and experience and appreciate the underlying needs. You will also discover the secondary items of a solid vision – namely “what you need, to get where you want to go. And a vision raised up from the trenches will look, feel, smell, and sound like the real thing. It will not need to be written on plaques, because in will already be written on hearts and in memories.

So here is my advice to you today, if you seek a vision for your ministry. Seek to serve. Seek to do the work at hand. Learn all you can about meeting the needs at hand. The vision will follow. And when you pray, do not ask our Lord for a vision. Rather, ask him for a chance to sweat. Then plead with him for eyes to see the answer that is already before you.

Glenn Singer