I was looking at computers and printers the other day and noticed the tag phrase for the Epson brand.

Exceed Your Vision

That started me down a thought path. Exceed your vision. See farther than you can see. What does that mean? I thought of the “flat earth” people who only see to the horizon and deduce the earth is flat. (My international air travel tells me differently.)

What does it take to exceed your vision? First, it takes faith. You have to believe there is something “out there” that you can’t see…yet. Something that will carry you farther along life’s path. From a biblical standpoint, it means trusting in a God who is already out there, seeing the beginning from the end. As the Lord revealed to Isaiah,

“Only I can tell you the future before it even happens…”

Isaiah 46:10a NLT

In practical terms, what does that phrase mean today for you and for those you lead in ministry? It should be a revolutionary thought that removes the man-made boundaries to what God is calling you to do and to be.

Exceed your vision…

We are sometimes asked, “If money were no object, what would you do?” Well, first, it is rare…especially in ministry…when money is no object. But the idea is to do what the Epson brand proclaims. Exceed your vision.

I know a church that invested heavily in media facilities and infrastructure several years before the pandemic forced everyone online. When the church doors were shut, the media door swung widely open. Recently, the pastor revealed that on the previous Sunday over 700 thousand watched the Sunday live streams of the worship services. By God’s direction, they exceeded their own vision.

Is there something beyond your vision right now? Is the Lord leading you to take steps in ministry or in life that don’t make sense if we are only seeing through today’s eyes? Abram in the Old Testament experienced this. God said “go,” not saying where. And Abram went, taking his whole family to a foreign land. He trusted that the Lord who spoke to him had something in the future that exceeded Abram’s vision in that day.

Author and inspirational speaker Simon Sinek says, “Great leaders must have two things: a vision of the world that does not yet exist and the ability to communicate that vision clearly.”

We live in a communication age. We as leaders…no matter who we lead…need to be able to bring others along toward that vision, even when they cannot see it clearly. And as Christian leaders, we have the added responsibility to move others to God’s agenda, the ultimate vision for all of us.

Drs. Henry and Richard Blackaby wrote a book on spiritual leadership. In it they talk about how important it is for a leader to know where the Lord is leading.

It’s surprising how many leaders settle for managing the day-to-day operations of their organization with no comprehensible idea of where God is leading them. Every decision is a step toward a destination.

Spiritual Leadership, Henry and Richard Blackaby

So, what is the destination the Lord has before you? What lies over the horizon for your ministry…for you…for your family? Are you willing to obey God’s direction toward something you cannot see yet? Are you willing to be obedient to His call in your life as a leader?

Exceed your vision…and move others toward what the Spirit of the Lord is leading you in ministry.

God’s best…