Leaders Can Capture the Heart of their People Through Vision

I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great… Genesis 12:2 The incident at the Tower of Babel was more than punishment for the people who refused to submit their hearts to God. God was implementing a “divide and conquer” strategy over mankind. But within one of the new people groups He created, He chose a particular man to make a covenant with. God spoke to an elderly man without any children, Abram, and promised to richly bless Him. He promised to make him the father of nations and to bless all humankind through him. God proposed His plan carefully to Abram in the form of a vision he could understand and get very excited about. He told Abram He would bless him, along with his cattle, land, family, and name. God spoke to Abram heart to heart, revealing to him the blessings he would enjoy through this new covenant. In this passage, God lays out the criteria for a God-given vision: It must begin with God’s priorities, not ours. It must connect with the leader’s identity (match his needs and desires). It must bless others. It should be much bigger than the leader. But at the same time, it must connect with the leader’s deepest convictions. It should be tangibly and easily communicated. And finally, it must have eternal value. While Abram might have chosen to obey God simply because He is God, the Lord made the effort to connect with him first. He touched Abram’s heart before asking for his hand. Please comment below or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com