Many people throughout history till today obsess and get tripped up on the many challenges that lie before them. Leaders see the future from a distance. They dream dreams not about what's happening now but what will happen in the next year, the next decade, and even the next generation.
God told Abraham to leave his home in Haran, his relatives, and everything he knew to that he might start fresh in another land. Abraham caught ahold of this vision as God gave him the hope of fathering a great nation, in fact God told him he would father many nations!
By studying Abraham in Genesis 12-22 we can learn some basic criteria for a God-given vision. A vision must:
1. Begin with God's priorities Gen. 12:1,2
1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.
This was God's vision not Abraham's. When leaders start with God's vision, they can more easily stay the course and keep their motives pure.
2. Connect with the leaders identity Gen. 15:2-4
2 But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord , what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. 3 You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.”
4 Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.”
The vision Abraham received matched him and Sarah perfectly, it matched both their needs and desires of the barren couple. Even better it's fulfillment woudl serve others. A God given vision will always involve service to others.
Connect with the leaders motivation
Gen. 18-9-12 9 “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked. “She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied. 10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!” Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12 So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?” They both desired a family, which was at the core of their personal motivation.
3. Be exciting and simple to communicate Gen. 15:5
5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”
God gave him a great picture of the vision, this helped for Abraham to embrace and want to fulfill the vision.
4. Include others Gen. 12:2,3
2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”
A vision from God will always include and bless others.
5. Be bigger than the leader Gen. 17:1-8
While Abraham wanted to have a son to pass his belongings to God wanted him to father nations. This vision went beyond anything Abraham could ever do by himself and would take more than a lifetime to fulfill.
6. Have eternal value Gen. 17:19-20
19 But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac,[a] and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant. 20 As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.
Abraham's vision went far beyond his lifetime and would include way more than wealth and fame. His vision would affect the eternal destiny of millions.
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