TAKE A RISK ON YOUR VISION

Take A Risk On Your Vision.

As a leader it’s important to know that vision is important to have, but what are you going to do with it?  This post is intended to inspire you to TAKE A RISK ON YOUR VISION!

Your vision is the thing that will propel you forward and draw the resources you need to live your dream.  One reason why it is vital to have vision as a leader is because your organization and at times your livelihood can depend on it.  I hope this true testimony encourages you.

About this time last year I had a vision to start a church.  I did not know how that would happen, where the resources would come from, or who would buy into the vision.  All I knew is that it was in my heart to start a church, and I believed so strongly in this vision I was willing to take a risk.  Well, I did just that.  What vision do you have? Are you taking a risk?  In college I was a business major and when studying the stock market there was a principle of “low risk, low reward” and “high risk , high reward.”  Your vision is a risk and at times the bigger your risk the bigger the results can be.

RISK 1 – DON’T BE AFRAID OF REJECTION IT WILL HAPPEN - We needed a space for our service on Sunday. So many hotels and banquet halls were booked or not open to us having a Sunday service.  I spent much time on the phone and emailing venues to no avail.  But one day I drove around the area of town I was lead to start our church and went to various hotels.  I went to one particular hotel and said I would like to have a church service here.  Although I had faced rejection I was not afraid of being told “no” by this point.  I had never been to this hotel nor did I know if they would be open to hosting us.  However, the risk I took that day lead us to a location to host our first service and the foundation of our church.  What if I let rejection stop the vision? Where would we be?  Rejection is not meant to stop you, but to lead you to the right place and timing for your vision to be birthed.

RISK 2 – DON’T FOCUS ON WHAT YOU DON’T HAVE TODAY, FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT TO HAVE TOMORROW. Now we needed the money to pay for the hotel.  I didn’t have a donor base or any funding from a support organization at the time. So what did I do?  I took a risk.  I put some skin in the game.  If you are going to take a risk be aware that you will have to put “your money where your mouth is”.  I did just that.  I paid for the hotel out of pocket for our first service and trusted that the resources would follow to reimburse me. Well, to my surprise that’s just what happened.  The risk I took on my vision lead to provision. The truth is most businesses start with a large personal investment of the visionary.   This is normal.  Just go with it.

RISK 3 – DON’T THINK YOU HAVE TO DO IT ALONE, WHERE GOD GIVES VISION, GOD GIVES PROVISION.  About the time I was ready to figure out how to pay for our next rental out of pocket I got a phone call out of the blue.  It was a call from a church planting organization that we were going to receive a large donation to start our ministry. Some friends of the organization saw I was starting a church on Facebook and a group of Pastors came together to donate financially to this great cause.  If God has conceived a vision in you trust that God will help you to give birth to this vision.

You may not be starting a church, but you do have a vision.  You are a leader, and leaders live, eat, and sleep with their vision.  Work your vision today and trust that the provision will follow.  TAKE A RISK ON YOUR VISION SO THE PROVISION CAN COME!

Jonathan Richardson, M.Div. is the Pastor of Faith Forward Church and CEO of

 Faith Forward Enterprises, INC. and Faith Forward Group, LLC.

WHY DO PLANES FLY AT 30,000 FEET?

As a leader you will have many challenges.  This is because as a leader you deal with people, and a variety of decisions. If you are a leader I hope this helps you.

Recently I was asked by a co-worker that took a flight why do planes fly at 30,000 feet?  I actually didn't know and had never asked myself that question before.  However I took the opportunity to do some research and I believe this can also be applied to us as leaders.

Here is my main point.. LEADER YOU MUST GET TO YOUR DESTINATION!  You have to stay at the right place ABOVE the drama of people and their problems in order to navigate your journey and get others on board with your vision to the destination safely.

1) Planes fly at 30,000 feet for efficiency and speed.  At that height modern jets are most efficient in the thinner air space.  If they were to fly at say 20,000 or 15,000 they would fly through thicker air which would slow the plane down.  As a leader you have to know that you must remain above the fray.  You can't get muddled in a space with confusion and drama that will slow you down and make you less efficient.  Address the drama in your organization so you and the organization can remain most efficient.  You have to be aware of confusion and dysfunction as a leader but you don't have to be involved in it.  Remain above these things to achieve maximum performance.

2) Planes fly at 30,000 feet because there is less traffic.  Have you ever heard the expression "chickens can't fly with eagles".  The truth is that is very applicable as it relates to leadership.  At certain altitudes only certain types of planes will be able to fly.  There are some smaller planes or planes with fewer features that would not be able to handle the higher altitudes.  Leader you must surround yourself with other leaders that can fly in your airspace and vice verse.  SURROUND YOURSELF WITH LIKE- MINDED LEADERS.  You need leaders that are like minded and that can encourage you to go higher.  You can't get this from leaders that have no vision, no integrity, and desire to stay in the "traffic." Leader you must find like minded leaders that will fly higher with you.

3) Planes fly at 30,000 feet because there is less turbulence.  There are few things more nerve rattling than a bumpy flight.  What I have found is that the pilot often takes us above the harsh weather to get a smoother flight in times like these.  The reality is there will always be turbulence in your leadership and organization, but you have to trust that the pilot is taking you higher through the turbulence.  LEADER KNOW THIS! Jesus is not the co -pilot he is THE PILOT! He is the director of your destiny and he can take you higher through the turbulence.  God has a master plan and can use the turbulence and problems you face as a leader to take you higher in his purpose for you life.  Just ask Joseph, he was hated by his brothers but God used this situation to elevate him to a place of great status and even rescue them from a famine.  God has the final say and can elevate and promote you and use the turbulence to do it.

4) Planes fly at 30,000 feet for safety.  As a leader you can always see more than others.  This allows you to adjust and make the right calls in times where there may need to be a decision made to  protect the organization.  When pilots fly higher it gives them the ability to make more adjustments to their speed and direction while flying.  These adjustments couldn't be made as easily at a lower altitude.  I compare "flying higher" to being in a place where you can hear the voice of God.  The more your mind and spirit is elevated the easier it is to hear God in tough times.  As a leader you will have to make quick decisions, think and move in times of pressure and the higher up you are the easier it will be for you to do that.  I like to compare this to our prayer life and quality time with God.  When you are "lifted" in prayer and spending time with God he leads you and directs you to be able to make the best decision on behalf of your organization.  You are always flying in a safe space when you are spending time with God.  No matter what is going on as you lead and in your organization God has a way of keeping you safe and letting you know which adjustments to make.

TODAY KEEP LEADING.  Stay above the fray and the problems that want to bring you and your organization down.  You are a LEADER that God will bless and elevate as you keep God first and your destination in sight.