Sometimes
back I was going through my archive and came across some amazing little
stories. I read a simple story in one of my French collections, and
here is the translated version of the story, it is titled: ‘UN VOYAGE
DIFFICILE’1 (A DIFFICULT JOURNEY): “Once upon a time, there was a man
and his only son who were traveling to a distant country.
They had only
a donkey (an ass) for their journey, but the unfortunate truth was that
he was not sure as to whether the donkey could take/carry the both of
them at the same time. The father being a good and kind-hearted man
decided to put his son on the donkey and they started out on the
journey.
After covering some distance, they met a man who did not
like what he saw – a father on foot! So he scolded the father saying
that he was stupid to have placed the son on the donkey instead of
himself. The father felt ashamed. He stopped the donkey, ordered his son
to come down and went on the donkey himself.
The journey seems to be
progressing until they met another person who was not happy with what
he saw – a little child on foot! That man must be a selfish father! So
he told the man that that was not right, himself alone being on the
donkey. The father felt ashamed and took on to the advice of the
stranger, who told him to put the son on the donkey too! The man obeyed.
He then ordered the son to climb on behind, which he did and journey
continued.
On the way they met yet again another big, tall man who
yelled at the father because of what he called a gross injustice against
an innocent animal! He now advised the two travelers that they were the
wicked of all human races he’s ever seen! Two people on an animal! Out
of shame, the man got down and asked his son to do the same, and the
journey seems to be progressing, but in difficulty.
By the time they
met the forth stranger, it was another story all together! How can two
persons be walking side by side with a donkey that should rather carry
them? The man laughed and scorned at them, asking the father if he was
mad. The whole ‘thing’ was now becoming unbearable! Which of them, and
who among these four would he heed to? The father, tired of the
so-called pieces of advises of his fellow men, decided to go on his
journey as fate had planned for him!” In sadness and frustration, the
travelers watched their ideas and minds being meddled by other people’s
opinion of what and how he should do things. “Vision, gives life to anything and everything we do in life and ministry”
PHASE 01
BASIC LEADERSHIP NEED
“Where there is no vision, the people perish”2
Vision;
is the basic requirement for leadership. No vision, no life, no living,
no destiny and consequently no fulfillment in anything you will ever
do. Vision; it’s all you need as a leader to be able to lead and lead
right. You must understand and know in clear terms, the enormity and the
seriousness of that position you occupy; else you will definitely abuse
it.
THE WHERE
The word ‘where’ here, indicates a location; a platform, a place where activities takes place. It
means that a church that has no vision; it is that church that will not
survive the test of time, no matter how much money, people,
connections, materials, audience it seems to have or possess. It will
not survive!
An organization that does not operate based on
principles of vision; that organization will never see the light of the
day, come what may. Even if that organization may seem to be going
places, meeting people, and attending to needs, they may even be
bringing materials to solve other issues of life – temporarily; the same
organization will not even sustain itself eventually; when the trials
(the swelling of Jordan) of life begins to surface.
The word;
‘Where’, could also mean a ministry! Whether religions or secular
ministry, once it is void of vision, that ministry will die. Definitely,
it will not live up to people’s expectations. Because like someone
said: “Leadership, is carried on the shoulder of vision, it is run on the wheels of vision”3 ‘Where’,
could as well mean an institution or school (may be primary, secondary
or tertiary institutions). No matter the level the of structure you see
on ground, and the numbers of students or pupils who had secured
admissions are; that institution will eventually come to ruin, simply
because Heaven looks for a vision in the institution and found none!
Even the structures itself will not survive; everything will come
crashing down or come to a halt.
A FAMILY
The family, here has
no limit or description. Any family at all that runs it affairs
visionless, that family will not stand; but rather it will collapse. A
husband and wife that has no vision for getting married or coming
together as ‘one’; will not live to bring out something good out of
their union. Their marriage will never be a blessing as promised in the
Holy Scriptures. Even if the husband is a clergy as well as the wife, no
vision, no success! It does not even matter how and where they got
married. Vision sustains everything in life and for life. “It is only Vision that sustains everything in life and for life”
GEOGRAPHICALLY
‘Where’, here does not necessarily mean a geographical location, but an environment for physical or spiritual activity. The
issue of vision is a very serious ‘thing’ on the mind of the Creator;
it forms the foundation upon which we raise or build any structure or
system; for the church and our present society.
A PROFESSION
In
your area of specialties, you may be an authority in a particular field
of endeavor and life discovered that you are walking along its corridor
without vision; repulsion is what I guarantee you will take place. Life
itself rejects men and women who have no vision in their life and for
their lives.
- Are you a medical doctor?
- Why did you decide to be that?
- Graduated with a first class in engineering?
- Where will your qualification take you to and why?
- You refused every other profession to become an actor/actress, what motivated you?
- On what do you operate your life; Vision or Ambition?
IN THE MARKET PLACE
Someone
may refuse anything called ‘academic’ and just hang to business (money
ventures), buying and selling; that is your ‘where’. It’s your own
environment. The question is:
- Do you have a reason for going into that venture?
- Why are you in that market place, and not in an academic environment?
- Do you have a reason to present to your world, why you’re there?
If
not, then you have no vision at all. We all must be propelled by
something for doing something – that is a vision. The why of a thing!
The way of life!
SUMMARY
Anything we do and anywhere we find
ourselves, we must clearly define our motivation for doing or being
there. That is a sign of maturity. Life is meaningless without a reason,
a vision. Vision is the reason behind whatever ‘thing’ we embark on or try to establish or set up in our lives. It should be. Vision, gives life to anything and everything we do in life and ministry. “Show me a man without vision, and I’ll show you a walking corpse”.
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