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Why Vision Fades, and
How Each Generation Must Keep it Aliveby Dallas Willard
July 2002
Dallas Willard spoke at the Servant Leadership School in Washington DC In conversation over lunch one day,
Gordon Cosby of the Servant Leadership School at Church of the Savior in Washington D.C. asked Dallas, "Why do
churches and ministries so often lose the essence of their founding vision, to the point that the institution, years
later, is quite unlike the original dream?" This essay is Dallas' response to the question of why vision fades.Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also.
Whoever serves me, the Father will honor." John 12:26
A CERTAIN SOMETHINGIf you go to the town of Assisi, you can find many people eager to talk about St. Francis of Assisi. You will
find many monuments to him, and also find many businesses thriving by selling memorabilia of him. But
you will notfind anyone who actually carries the same spiritual fire and vision that St. Francis possessed.
No doubt there are many fine folks living in Assisi, but they do not possess the character of Francis, nor do
they practice the deeds of Francis, nor do they have his impact on society.
What is true in this case is not unique. Rather, it is just another obvious illustration of the general
tendency of human life and of the spiritual life. Vision fades. It also always happen in the world of
business, government, education, and the arts: First, a person of great vision, ability, and inspiration
emerges, and rises far above his or her origins and surroundings. Perhaps it is a King David, or a Socrates,
a St. Anthony or St. Francis, a Martin Luther or a George Fox or a John Wesley. In each of these leaders
there is a ... well, a certain 'something'.
These leaders really are different,and that difference explains why they have such great effect, and why
movements and institutions always grow up around them. It is as if they stand in another world, and from
there they have extraordinary impact on this world as God acts in them and with them. Organization oftheir vision takes place through, and sometimes other organizations spin off from them as talented
individuals are drawn to them and make their lives in their wake. But these other individuals - usually very
well-intending still do not carry the "fire,"or "certain something,"within them as the founder did.
Over time a subtle divergence from the vision that gripped the founder begins to take place, and before
long,the institution has become the vision.
This happens in secular organizations as well. Arthur Anderson was a man of rock-solid integrity, with a
crystal-clear vision of accounting as a profession. He built a magnificent accounting firm on strong moral
principles. But eventually the people who ran the firm became obsessed with their positions in a noted
firm and personal success instead of focusing on serving their clients and personal responsibility. These
people acted in the good name of Arthur Anderson, but did not share his original vision for the
company. As you know, it brought disaster upon themselves and upon thousands of unsuspecting people
who depended on the Arthur Anderson firm. Had the same vision and moral fire burned in them that
burned in Arthur Anderson, the firms demise would have never happened. But the false fires of
ambition, personal rights, and greed burned in its place. Success laid its egg in the nest of public service
and a monster was hatched that destroyed the nest and all in it.
NOTHING FAILS LIKE SUCCESS
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St. Francis and Arthur Anderson are just two of the more notorious illustrations of this hard reality: In
most cases, when the original vision is allowed to die out, the associated institutions and staff carry on for
a while, but they increasingly become more concerned with survival than service. Consider the example
of the great evangelist Charles Finney and Oberlin college, which he founded, or any number of other
originally Christian colleges and universities. Few have stayed true to the original fire God placed in the
heart of an individual.
While this process is not restricted to religious movements, it is especially obvious and painful to behold
in churches and ministries. There is real truth behind the saying that in spiritual matters nothing fails like
success. Movements of God touch the human heart at the deepest level and serve profound human
needs. Because of this, they quickly attract many who love the light and warmth and success of the
founders original vision but they have no real interest in possessing the fire and vision of the founder. In
fact, they do not really understand it and want to substitute a less demanding vision. Eventually, however,
and without consciously intending to do so, they extinguish the very fire that provided the light and
warmth, or they allow it to die out by not carefully tending it. An organization may continue existing
under the same name, trading in memorabilia. But it isn't the same operation on the inside, and its impact
on the outside is definitely not the same.
Thus 'apostasy' (falling away from) is in fact a fairly normal process of life. It is what we should expect to
happen, not something to be surprised about. It is remarkable and abnormal if it does not happen. This
apostasy is never, primarily, a failure of belief or doctrine, or even a conscious decision. Rather It is a
subtle shifting of the vision, of priorities and of the founding leaders willingness to sacrifice. People began
to feel differently about themselves, their work, and their commitment to the vision. The shifts in attitude
and behavior lie at the surface of organizational life but the center lies miles deep in the heart and soul of
the individuals involved.
Occasionally a sudden soulquake happens in the life of the leader, as in the cases of biblical kings such
as Saul, Amaziah and Uzziah. Far more often, the fading of vision happens in the passing of the baton to
a new generation. This degeneration of vision is clearly seen from King David to his son Solomon, to
Solomons son, Rehoboam.
It is often pointed out thatfew ministers finish well. But it is even more true of ministries than it is ofindividual ministers. Every denomination vividly illustrates the process, as do most educational and
charitable organizations.
UNDERMINING THE VISION OF GODWhat is the underlying change that causes a ministrys loss ofthe inward fire of vision? Henri Nouwen
noted: Nothing conflicts with the love of Christ like service to Christ. This may be an overstatement but
certainly it is true that successful service to God has a strong tendency to undermine a vision of God that
fuels a passion for God. With the possible exception of David, who indeed "ended well," we see it
constantly in the kings of Judah and Israel.
King Uzziah's case is especially instructive: "But when he became strong, his heart was so lifted up that he
acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the Lord his God.(1 Chron. 26:16) Uzziah became a strongleader because of his deep devotion to the Lord. For most of his life he focused on knowing God in a close
relationship. "He did right in the sight of the Lord.... And he continued to seek God in the days of
Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God
prospered him." (1 Chron. 26:4-5)
But the works that were accomplished through Uzziah's personal devotion to God distracted him from his
vision of God. "His heart was lifted up."This language of the Bible became the standard way of diagnosing
the failure of the kings of Judah and Israel. In Uzziah's case he decided to perform temple rituals which
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were not permitted to him. But in most other cases, the downfall occurred when kingsformed human
alliances or established practices that relied only on human strength. They glorified themselves by nott
relying upon God.
Because of a distracted focus, they could not live in the lesson of the prophet Jahaziel: "Do not fear or be
dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's.... You need not fight in this
battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf.... Do not fear or bedismayed...for the Lord is with you."(II Chron. 20:15-17)
What, then, is the general pattern of vision drift? First, intense devotion to God by the founders brings
substantial outward success. Then that outward success yields a sense of accomplishment that attracts
others. The founders usually still sense the responsibility to be good stewards of what has been achieved
and to use it for further achievement. But for those who join in, the temptation is to misunderstand the
personal qualities that caused the success and to reorient vision away from God has done to what 'we are
doing. The ministry work itself increasingly becomes the vision. We focus on what we are doing, or must
get done, rather than focusing on loving God. Grinding out the ministry, while forgetting the vision,
occupied our thoughts, feelings and strength.
This is the point at which service to Christ replaces love for Christ. Our inward love for God, and
absorption in what he is doing, is no longer the center of the life. "No time for that" becomes the
governing attitude. The fire of God in the human soul always seems unimportant to those who like its
effects but do not understand where the success comes from.
DEMANDING OUR RIGHTSAt this point apervasive consciousness of one's rights and "perks" sets in. Amaziah, who had been a fairly
good king in Judah, defeated the Edomites but then brought their gods to Jerusalem and worshipped
them! When rebuked by a prophet he was offended that one should challenge him: "Have we appointed
you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?" (2 Chron. 25:16)
Usually it is not the founders, but those who gather about them, who insist on perks and rights, both for
the founders, and for themselves. Often they see it as a way of honoring the leaders they admire. When
David became thirsty on the battlefield and made an off-hand remark about wanting a drink from thewell of Bethlehem, three of his "mighty men" overheard his remark and broke through enemy lines to
bring him the water. But David would not drink it. He "poured it out to the Lord," because their devotion
had made the gift too precious for him to drink. (2 Sam. 23:16) This is a most illuminating insight into the
good and humble heart of David, which can be seen on many other occasions in his life. David has a more
sober estimate of himself that those around him did, so he chose not to take advantage of his position.
St. Francis also provides many illustrations of this type of humility. But it proved too hard for those in his
Order to follow, and within a few years Francis was in a struggle with his own followers because the rule
he proposed was considered to lowly by his followers! They expected to be treated better and were
unwilling to sacrifice in the ways Francis had. Francis lost the battle with his own associates, even
becoming an object of sarcasm and criticism among some of his earliest associates. They turned on him
because they were unwilling to sacrifice for the vision the way he had.
As I have noted, such a departure from the founders vision is often accompanied by the excuse that he
or she was an extraordinary leader - not "normal - when in fact it was the founders acute awareness of
their own normalcy, that led them to adopt measures that kept themselves centered on God! They
established personal disciplines that kept Gods vision right and bright. Unlike those who followed, they
understood the daily intensity of the inward battle that must be fought constantly. Followers are always
tempted to use their leaders uniqueness as a reason to excuse themselves from the burden of being as
committed.
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HUMILITY AND ASPIRATIONSo this is process by which the work of ministry replaces the original vision of God as the ultimate point of
reference for involvement: A true vision of God, along with a true vision of oneself in God inspires a
combination of both humility and great ambition for God. This powerful combination leads to
remarkable results as we live in dependence upon God. Great effects are achieved because God supportsthose who are complete dependent upon him and serve him for his sake. Then the effects take on a life
of their own. Surrounding people see nothing but the remarkable effects which are indeed worthy of
support. This human support may also be of God. But the effects must be carefully evaluated to prevent
them from corrupting the heart..
King Solomon began well. He knew about God from his father David, and he understood he could not
carry out his work by himself so he asked God for wisdom and knowledge. When God gave it to him.,
Solomon became very great. (2 Chron. 9) But then, to strengthen his position, he formed alliances
through marriage with royalty of many nations, and his seven hundred wives turned his heart away from
Jehovah to worship their gods. (I Kings 11:1-6) By the time he died, Solomons government had become
bitterly oppressive, the people were ready to rebel, and his son was a fool. It is not unreasonable to think
that it was a building program that turned Solomons heart.
CAN THE VISION BE SUSTAINED?Is the loss of the vision unavoidable? Does this have to happen? The answer is, in general, "No." Godly
leaders and godly followers manage to avoid it. Some organizations have postponed it for several
generations- but that is the exception.
o In the Old Testament,Joshua (Ex. 33:11) and Elisha (II Kings 2:9) were two cases where second-
generation disciples sought the Lord as much as their mentors (Moses and Elijah did. As a result, they
carried the same vision and spirit forward into the next generation and the miracles of faith continued.
o The early Christians hold the record for sustaining the inward fire of vision of the founding Apostles"
For three centuries, the vision of Jesus as Lord burned brightly in their hearts. The tremendous
successes of the early movement continued only slowing when persecution ended and being a Christian
became culturally acceptable.. The earliest generations of Christians were remarkably successful in
passing the sacred vision on to the next generation.
oIn later Christian history we find clear examples of a trans-generational passing of the original fire in
the Jesuits, the Quakers, the Moravian Brethren and the Methodists.No doubt there are many other
cases not so well known. So it can be done. And there are many cases of individuals in each generation
who have "finished well." What is essentially involved?
The answer is simple in concept, but difficult in execution -especially for trans-generational vision passing.
One cannot write a recipe for identifying and sustaining the original vision of God, of self and of the world
that animated the originators. It is a highly personal matter and is dependent upon Gods grace that is,
upon God doing in our lives what we cannot accomplish on our own.
WHAT EACH OF US MUST DOBut there are things any person can doand must doto receive and sustain the inner spiritual fire that
keeps mission and ministry in its proper place, and prevents the work from obsessing us, limiting us, and
eventually strangling us.
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1. First we must admit that the loss of vision over time is inevitable. This acknowledgement must explicit
and regular. One need not become paranoid about it, just honest. Find ways to keep the vision creatively
before oneself and one's associates.
2. Secondly, we must not just understand the founding vision- we must keep it clear and explicit in our
minds. This is not easy. Wise founders never impose their vision on others. While this attitude is
commendable, it makes it difficult to sustain the vision in the next generation The focus must be on theeternal vision, not the individuals to whom God gave it, even though God called them to carry it out.
3. Third, intentional step mustbe taken to live out the values and the vision. Proverbs 3:5-7 says "Trust
in the Lord with all your heart, and don't place your faith in your own understanding. Acknowledge God in
all you do, and he will smooth your pathway. Don't think you have got it figured out." And again: "Watch
over your heart with all diligence, for what is in your heart will determine what your life amounts to."
(4:23)
THE JOYFUL AIM OF LIFELoving God must be the joyful aim and center of our hearts. That is why Jesus stated that the first
commandment is to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your
mind, and with all your strength." (Mark 12:30) This is a command. It is something we are to do, and
something we can do it. We will learn how to do it if we intend to do it. God will help us, and we will find a
way.
The love of God, and only the love of God, secures the vision of God and keeps God constantly before our
mind. Thomas Watson tells us that "The first fruit of love is the musing of the mind upon God. He who is
in love has his thoughts ever upon the object. He who loves God is ravished and transported with the
contemplation of God.... God is the treasure, and where the treasure is, there is the heart." King David
gives us the secret of his life: "I have set the Lord continually before me; because he is at my right hand, I
will not be shaken." (Ps. 16:8)
A true vision of God secures humility. Seeing God for who he is enables us to see ourselves for who we
are. This makes us bold, for we see clearly what great good and evil are at issue, and we see that it is notup to us to accomplish it, but up to God who is more than able. We are delivered from pretending,
being presumptuous about ourselves, and from pushing as if the outcome depended on us. We persist
without frustration, and we practice calm and joyful non-compliance with evil of any kind.
God looks to those who are humble and contrite of spirit, and who tremble when he speaks. (Isa. 66:2) He
resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (I Peter 5:5) Remember, "grace" means that he is acting
in their lives.
So the humble are dependent upon God, not on themselves They humble themselves "under the mighty
hand of God."(I Peter 5:6) That is, by depending upon God to act. They abandon outcomes entirely to
him. They "cast all their anxieties upon him, because he cares for them." (vs. 7) The result is assurance
that the mission and the ministry will be accomplished, in God's time and in God's way.
We do the very best we know, we work hard, even self-sacrificially. But we do not carry the load, and our
ego is tied to the mission or ministry. In our love of Jesus and his Father, we abandon our life to him. Our
life is not an object of deep concern.
NEXT STEPSTo maintain a vision based on a life of loving abandonment to God, we must develop a plan that
incorporates the spiritual disciplines and practices that care for the inner life and grow godly values.
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These are the familiar disciplines for spiritual life. We cannot discuss these here, but the next step forward
for the person who has decided to love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength, is to put in place
those regular practices that make it possible. This will take time, study, experimentation and guidance by
the Holy Spirit. But it can be done; and when it is done, life becomes incalculably easier, sweeter and
stronger. Mission and ministry are no longer burdensome, though they may be quite challenging and
strenuous. His yoke is, nonetheless, easy, and his burden is light, and there is rest in the soul. (Matt.
11:29:30)
For those who have known this in the past, the call is to return to the first love and do the first works. For
those who have never known it, the call is to focus on the love of God to us until our heart, soul, mind and
strength overflow with love in return. "We love him because he first loved us." (I John 4:19)
And for those who, standing in the love of God, are concerned about the next generation, the call is to
make these matters a subject of serious discussion and prayer with those who will lead into the future.
Talk openly, regularly, honestly and lovingly.
Eventually judgments must be made as to who in the next generation will be entrusted with the future of
the organization. These decisions cannot be avoided but they also cannot be made quickly. These must be
made lovingly, but firmly "under the mighty hand of God." What we can do is prepare for that day and
those choices by providing clear examples, intelligent, biblical teaching, prayerful discussion, and by
observing the words and actions of future leaders.