The Problem of Vision

I believe in the power of vision. I consider myself a visionary leader, and I love supporting strong, clear, persuasive visionary leaders. I love (re)imagining kingdom possibilities, especially as it pertains to the local expression of the church. I'm a driven, goal-oriented, task-oriented, purpose-driven person, leader and Jesus follower.

Having said all that, I've also discovered the problem of vision. By its very nature, having a vision involves seeing myself in a preferred future, in a preferred context. It sees a life of fruitfulness and fulfillment. And in every case, that vision includes a preferred picture of me - the me I want to be, the me I have the potential to be, the me God made me to be - but nevertheless, me!

The simple fact is that God has a vision and a clear sense of purpose. God has a preferred future in a preferred context. God has a preferred people, and a preferred me. But I am not at the center of God's vision for me - God is. It's about the potential of the glory of the Lord, it's not about my potential. It's about God's preferred results, not my fruitfulness. So much of our "human potential" thinking ends up being about our true significance, the best contribution we can make, the possibility of being and making a difference. 

As an educator I have often encountered Herman Mazlow's "Hierarchy of Needs." Mazlow saw human need fulfillment in terms of a pyramid. Starting at the base, each level of need must be fulfilled before the next level can be explored. If you're familiar with Mazlow's "Hierarchy," you'll recall that the baseline level of need fulfillment is "physiological," i.e., the need for food, health, sleep, sex, etc. If those needs are being met, then we can address the need for "safety," i.e., support, security, resources, etc. From there we can move to "belonging" (love, friendship, family) and "esteem" (confidence, achievement, respect from others). The ultimate goal is "self-actualization," i.e., creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, etc. In other words, being a fully formed, fruitful, fulfilled human being is the ultimate goal in life. As St. Irenaeus was to have said, "The glory of God is man full alive."

But is it really? Is the glory of God dependent on human potential? Isn't the final goal the glory of God itself and not human glory? I reminded of the passage in Isaiah: "I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another" (42:8). The problem with "vision" is that it's only natural to see ourselves at the center of the picture. We tend to attach our egos to the vision.

The story of Joseph is an excellent example. Joseph received a vision from the Lord (Genesis 37). What he noticed about the vision was that he seemed to be more significant than his brothers, and even than his parents. And he didn't mind reminding his brothers of his vision. It wasn't that he saw a lying vision, it was that he saw himself at the center of the vision. And so God had to deal with what he saw, how he saw it, and what the true meaning and purpose of the vision was. It wasn't that he was more significant than his brothers; it was that God would put him in a place of significance that would empower him to save the lives of his brothers. The vision was not about him, it was about God's plan, purpose and provision for the family of Jacob. It took God 13 years and many trials, but eventually Joseph got it. In prison, Joseph got a reputation for being an interpreter of dreams. So when Pharaoh had a disturbing dream, Joseph was called to interpret it, and as a result, was put in charge of Egypt (Genesis 41:41).

God had so arranged Joseph's life that it wasn't just the spiritual gift of interpreting dreams that was significant, it was the content of the dreams themselves and the role Joseph would end up playing in Egypt, resulting in the saving of the lives of his family. In the end, Joseph clearly understood the true nature and purpose of the vision. When he finally saw his brothers bowing before him he confessed, "Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you" (Genesis 45:5).

Some describe this as the "death of a vision." But it wasn't the vision that needed to die but the attachment of Joseph's ego to the vision. He needed to learn to take himself out of the vision.

So God has a purpose and a plan, God has a vision for each one of his children. But God doesn't need a lot of help from us to see that vision clarified or fulfilled. He just needs us to learn how to stay close, keep our hearts and minds focused on God and God's glory, to be sensitive and responsive to his perfect timing each step along the way.

Some have recently discovered that later in life Abraham Mazlow added a higher level to his pyramid. He saw that something even more important than "self-actualization" was "self-transcendence," i.e., altruism and wisdom. He saw that an actualized self was not really that significant until it could be poured out and given away in a life of self-forgetfulness and self-sacrifice. What the Bible calls "love." "Mazlow and Self-transcendence"

It reminds me of that old Irish hymn, "Be Thou My Vision."  May we learn to make that our daily prayer. "Be Thou My Vision"