A Picture of Vision
by: Mike Bonem
0
The other day, as I was boarding an early morning flight out of Hobby Airport in Houston, I looked out the window and had a great view of the early morning sun shimmering on the downtown skyline. It was beautiful. Here’s the picture.
Now I’m guessing that you’re not rushing to book a trip to Houston based on this picture. You’re probably even wondering why I posted it. The reason is that it tells us a lot about vision.
- The vision is often much more clear to the visionary than to others. My picture doesn’t convey what I witnessed. In the same way, many visionary leaders get very excited about the vision that God has given them, but others don’t grasp it. People need to have a meaningful, tangible experience with the vision, not just hear you talk about it. What are you doing to help others to see, taste, and touch the vision that God has for your congregation?
- Visionaries often don’t see the obstacles. When I first glanced out the window at Hobby, I didn’t even notice all the clutter in the foreground. Once I took the picture, it was much more obvious. Some visionary leaders never have that experience – they see the ultimate goal very clearly, but they completely overlook the more immediate things that stand in the way. Who in your life lovingly helps you identify the barriers to the vision?
- Those who see the obstacles can kill a vision. It’s obvious that I can’t cut across the tarmac to get to the distant skyline, but that doesn’t mean that getting there is impossible. We’ve all known people who immediately list all the reasons that something can’t be done. It’s important to think about the “how” questions, because these help translate the vision into meaningful steps and identify issues to be addressed. If you are that detail-oriented person, do you use your strengths in positive, helpful ways?
What does your vision picture look like? Which of these three areas do you need to work on?
Tags: Mike Bonem, Vision Clarity
