Vision as Revelation

We often speak of educating our students from a biblical perspective, for God’s word and His truth to serve as the foundation of everything we do as Christian schools. While that’s good and as it should be, how often do we follow this same viewpoint in our roles as leaders of these schools? Specifically, as we consider things like direction and focus for our schools, are we guided more by the philosophies of the world around us or by the God of the universe to whom we claim our schools belong?  

Whether or not our schools are guided by a strategic plan, activated by a clear and compelling vision, these things are essential to a well-run school (or any organization, for that matter). Put simply, vision answers the question of where you are going as a school—it defines your direction and provides a picture of your future. A clear and compelling vision might be, “We are called to be a school that mirrors Revelation 7, creating accessibility for traditionally culturally, academically, and economically underserved students in our school.” Another vision might call for a school to “equip our students to be on mission for Jesus in a global marketplace through vocational and work-as-mission opportunities.” Yet another might be, “God is calling our school to be a life-equipping institution, preparing engaged Christians for education beyond their time here, whether that entails traditional higher education or other nontraditional routes.”  

Each of these examples calls on a school to chart a specific path to accomplish its unique vision. That path is the school’s strategic plan, which may include goals and initiatives like creating an academic services center in the first example, adding a foreign language immersion program in the second, or vocational education opportunities in the third. The strategic plan provides leadership focus and allocates time, energy, and resources to further the school’s vision.  

A school board, head, and leadership team with a compelling vision and a strong strategic plan have organizational clarity on the school’s direction and spend less time meeting about things that are largely irrelevant to the overall mission and governance of the school. They tend to stay in their own operational or governance “lanes” because they clearly understand their roles and objectives. They are able to communicate more effectively and clearly to their constituencies. Clear communication as to direction enables them to raise money more effectively because donors understand and are excited about where the school is headed.  

As leaders, we know that we are responsible for leading with vision. But where does vision come from? There has never been an era with so many resources on how to lead. Thousands of books, articles, and other content are available every year teaching us how to influence others. These tell us that vision is a product of self-reflection, getting in touch with your inner purpose, the product of past successes, the result of brainstorming with others, or the fruit of market scans and identifying needed gaps.  

Scripture gives a different perspective.  In Habakkuk 2, the Lord says:  

“Write the vision; 

    make it plain on tablets, 

    so he may run who reads it. 

For still the vision awaits its appointed time; 

    it hastens to the end—it will not lie. 

If it seems slow, wait for it; 

    it will surely come; it will not delay.” 

In passages far too numerous to set forth here, God’s word makes clear that, for God’s people and spiritual leaders, vision is revelation. Henry Blackaby reinforces that vision is not human-made or generated. Instead, God gives it to you.1 This makes sense when you think about it. After all, is the school you lead your school, or is it God’s school? And, if it belongs to the Lord, do you believe that he wants to tell you what direction he wants you to lead his school?  

In most cases, Christian school leaders don’t have a problem answering those questions affirmatively. The problem comes in listening to the Lord.  

We live in a loud, distracting, anxious world, one that is specifically designed to lead us from the voice of God. We have a very real enemy who wants nothing more than to keep us from hearing God’s voice and to therefore keep our schools off God’s agenda. Yet, the only way we can truly be assured our schools are following a vision that is God-breathed is to take the time and effort necessary to hear what he has to say about his school. As cultural commentator and author Mark Sayers said recently, detection precedes direction.  

Before we can gain direction from God, we have to learn to hear his voice. Many of us have no idea how to do that, and we’ve never experienced it. As Sayers notes, we have to engage patiently in the discipline of listening.  

To partner with God as He brings renewal in the world, in the systems and organizations where we live and lead, we must learn to detect His voice before moving forward; this is a countercultural act in an anxious system, which demands instant action, quick fixes, and fast-acting remedies for pain. Waiting on the Lord, seeking His voice, is an act of revolutionary stillness.2 

Practicing the spiritual discipline of solitude and silence, of spending extended time quietly alone with God with our Bibles and journals, perhaps in His creation, is a great way to begin. Practicing solitude and silence is like exercising for most people—few sit quietly in the Lord’s presence for hours or even many minutes initially. We have to work up to it. But soon, God is faithful to allow for stillness and peace to enter our hearts, giving us a clarity of thought and a sense of his presence that allows us to hear His voice.  

Sometimes, His voice will come quietly in those moments. Sometimes, it will be a passage of Scripture or something we notice in creation or in our interaction with others. Being still in His presence makes us more attuned to listening for His voice in all of these interactions and gives us greater ability to discern His voice when we hear it.  

Over time, as we hear and journal our thoughts and insights as He gives them, God begins to forge a vision narrative for what He wants to see for His school. As we begin to share some of these things with our leadership team and board members, asking them to pray for God’s discernment, the Lord will continue to clarify and affirm His vision.  

This is rarely an overnight process but takes patience and time. Nonetheless, the result is clarity and alignment among school leaders. Carrying out a new vision and the strategic plan to support that vision will involve change. Change is difficult; it requires people to put to death the way they have done things in the past and learn new things, which is often scary and hard. Leaders who bring people through change will face resistance and challenge, but when aligned around a God-given vision, leaders have the courage to press on when they face these challenges, when others might abandon change.  

Most of all, God wants to give His people vision because He loves them. He wants them to listen to His voice because he wants to communicate with them, to be in a relationship with them, and to draw into deeper intimacy with them. In this way, detecting, discerning, and leading with God-breathed vision is an act of intimate worship with the God who saves and loves.