Issue #77, March 14, 2012
We have examined the foundation of Nehemiah’s vision to build the wall. It was based on his character and birthed in prayer. In this issue we’ll observe that Nehemiah’s vision was not about himself but about others. It came as a response to the report he received about Jerusalem. They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire”(Nehemiah 1:3). Nehemiah’s vision to build the wall was a response to the desperate need of the people in Jerusalem. All visions meet some need. However, visions of servant leaders like Nehemiah focus clearly on two objectives.
The vision of servant leaders focuses on the needs of others.
Nehemiah’s vision was unique in that it had nothing to do with himself; it was focused on the need of the people in Jerusalem. The visions of many leaders are more about themselves than others. Some visions come from the leader’s own need to feel important or to be seen as a successful leader. This leader develops a vision and calls others to follow. A vision to build your business to make a profit is a worthy goal. Likewise the vision of a pastor to see many people come to faith in Christ is commendable. The issue is not so much in the outcomes but in the motive behind it and whether it is focused on self or others. If your vision is about yourself and your own ego, at least acknowledge that it is not a Nehemiah vision. Do your followers a favor and simply say, “I have a dream and I want you to help me fulfill the dream.” Many so called ‘visions from God’ have very little to do with God but more to do with the ego of the leader who is sharing the vision. As Christian leaders we must be very careful not to clothe our own visions with spiritual language that seems to make the vision come from God. Servant leaders like Nehemiah have the high privilege of saying to others, “I believe God is calling us to….” This privilege cannot be taken lightly and can only be done when the vision is clearly focused on the needs of others, not the leader.
With so many needs around us, how do servant leaders know on which needs God is calling them to focus? God will not call us to meet every need. We will hear of or see some needs and for a short time our hearts may be touched but we soon forget about it. Vision that comes from God will continue to burn in our hearts and grow stronger with time. Time also allows us to check our motives. Nehemiah’s vision grew as he spent time fasting and praying over the needs of the people.
The vision of servant leaders seeks to glorify God.
Nehemiah acknowledges in his prayer that the reason Jerusalem is a significant city is not simply because his relatives live there but because God has identified this city as “the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name” (Neh. 1:9). The focus of Nehemiah’s vision to restore the wall was to bring glory to God and to restore the city that represented His presence. Whether we serve in the world of business, church, politics, education, or at home, our vision should first and foremost, be one that brings glory to God. True leadership is not simply about growing a bigger organization or increasing the numbers. Rather, it is about finding the need that God wants us to fill and glorifying Him as we lead others in fulfilling the vision.
These two elements must be in place for the vision of every servant leader. Measure your vision with the standards of Nehemiah. Ask yourself whose need the vision will meet and whether it brings glory to God. This again calls for prayer which helps guard our hearts against visions that promote self and take glory from God. May we all find visions that truly meet the needs of others and glorify God.
For further reflection and discussion:
- Reflect on the vision you have in your vocation. Is your vision based on the needs of others or has your focus been on what you can get out of it? Take several days to reflect on this. Ask a few close friends for their observation of the way you lead with your vision.
- Take time to write out in one sentence how your vision does (or should) bring glory to God.
- If your vision is clearly focused on meeting the needs of others and glorifying God, what difference will that make in how you call others to follow the vision? What difference will it make when the normal measures of ‘success’ (money, numbers, size, etc.) are not what you desire?