As our church clocks nine today, 24th January, I remember an incident that happened a few years into our church start. Someone offered to take me somewhere so the church could grow. I guess he noticed how tirelessly I had laboured over the church with nothing to show for it. I shouted and shut him down. Recently, the same man asked if he could be our gate man in our new facility. Of course, I declined. But I learnt a lesson. When the vision looks like a lie, don’t compromise.
Friend, beware of compromise. The vision is for an appointed time. It would still speak and not lie (Habakkuk 2:1-3). A lot of people have not given their vision enough time to speak. When we had our baby, his siblings were always anticipating his next stage of growth. They always asked when he would start crawling, walking, talking, etc. Is that not how most of us relate with divine vision (Isaiah 28:16)?
As a visionary, you must understand timing. Otherwise, you would become a victim of frustration or compromise (Ecclesiastes 3:11). If only you knew that the distance between what God showed you and its manifestation is pretty long, you would take it easy and steady. While it is important to expect things to happen fast, you need to prepare for seeming delays. What you call delay is actually a process (Luke 1:80).
God will first process you before He promotes you. God often prepares us for what He prepares for us (1 Corinthians 2:9). If you handle the manifestation of what God showed you the way you are now, you might spoil things. Pastor, the kind of people, growth, and impact you are praying for right now may be bigger than your level of consecration and capacity (Galatians 4:1-2). God knows what He is doing.
There are stages to divine vision. There is the seed stage, where you receive the vision as a seed (Acts 26:19). Then, the planting, burial, resurrection, fruiting, and multiplication stage. All these stages are critical to the vision. Every divine vision must first die before it truly lives (John 12:24). It is this death stage that often brings discouragement and compromise.
Never compromise on your journey of divine vision (Luke 4:3-4). You cannot use the power of the devil to fulfil the purpose of God. You cannot use the flesh to carry out what was birthed by the Spirit (Galatians 3:3). What God plans to give you tomorrow, the devil will try to give you today so that he can collect your soul and eternity. Never allow him. Let God grow you so that He can grow your work. The vision will not lie. Amen.
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria