by Clare Jewell

My dad can’t drive at night anymore. His vision is diminished. He can see fine in the daylight, but a deteriorating eye condition limits his ability to see in the dark. Sounds like a familiar problem.

Faith is the ability to see in the dark. It’s the capacity of a leader to look beyond all the reasons a church can’t move forward, and motivate people to advance. We call this vision. In the midst of the dark hours of a church’s history, true leaders are the ones with the faith to look upward. They have the God-given ability to see past the circumstances and embrace what is true. God is on the throne. His Son is lifted up. The Spirit is working to fulfill His mission. God has a plan to redeem the world. There’s no reason to pull over to the side of the road.

Simple question: Are you comfortable driving in the dark? Are you willing to move forward with confidence in the grace and wisdom of God? Don’t let doubt steal your hope. Don’t allow fear to stunt your vision. Pray for God to open your eyes. Ask Him for the faith to see. Return to the Word and renew your sight with a Biblical perspective of the church. Share that perspective with your people.

There will be a time to rest. There will be a day when God asks you to hang up the keys so that someone else can take the wheel. But not today. Today is the day to drive toward the gates of Hell. Today is the day to remind your church of its mission. Stop sitting on the side of the road waiting for conditions to improve. Start the engine, put it in gear, and get moving. If you don’t trust your ability to see, trust Him. It’s His church. It’s His mission. He may keep you in the dark, but His light is sufficient to guide you. If you can’t see it, look up. Our vision comes from Him.

Clare Jewell is national church planting coordinator for Regular Baptist Ministries.