Vision, mission, strategies, outcomes. Leaders are often busy with what it takes to inspire and guide others in the organization. Lots of time is spent determining the right vision to help the organization and all associated with it to have a sense of direction. And the vision should also provide an exciting goal that helps drive the team to new heights.

But I have a question for you. Not concerning your ministry… for YOU.

What is your vision for yourself?

Fred Smith, in his role as a mentor to leaders in ministry and business, talked about this in one of his letters. After writing about the occasional need for a new and changing vision, he added this:

“One exception is the vision of who we want to be as men and women of character…. That vision can be lifelong… and should be. In fact, we should be growing in maturity the older we get. The picture we have of ourselves should include a clear idea of who we are becoming, not just what we are doing.”

We can easily get caught up in the doing, making sure our ministries have direction and purpose. We don’t often think of the importance of building our own vision for who we are and who we are becoming. But that is critical. Dr. Henry Blackaby points to that in one of his devotionals:

“Big assignments require big characters. God will give you a responsibility in proportion to the size of your character…. A small character will fail in a large responsibility every time.”

– Experiencing God Day by Day

And then Blackaby poses these questions:

  • How is God building your character?
  • Do you sense He has a task for you that will require a far greater man or woman than you presently are?
  • Will you yield to God as He works in your life to prepare you for your next assignment?

Powerful questions. Important ones for each of us. The Apostle Paul often spoke of the importance of the character of those who follow Christ. He saw this as a critical link to our understanding of salvation and the hope we have, and that we exhibit it to those around us. Yes, we will face challenges on our path, but they can be used by God to build us up for His service.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

Romans 5:3-4 NLT

Fred Smith concluded his thoughts this way:

“Defining who you want to be as a person should be foundational, and many of the aspirations and dreams can be expansive. But all visions should be consistent with who we want to be during each stage of our lives – and how we want to be remembered when it is our time to go.”

– Breakfast with Fred

So… what is your vision for YOU? Are you willing to do what it takes to be the man or woman of character that God needs for His big assignment?

God’s best,