“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” –Hosea 4:6, KJV. And this knowledge is a product of vision. Broadly speaking, Vision is God’s roadmap for a group of people or certain individuals to succeed in Life -Gen.15:1-5, KJV. A group of people can be a nation or certain religious groups. For example, God created man in His own image for the purpose of giving Him pleasure. The moment Man or Humanity lost that vision, God was grieved and regretted that He created Man in the first instance. A vision can be for a nation as God has for the Nation of Israel. He had expressed His vision for the Nation of Nigeria too to be the trigger- point from where the Gospel and Missionaries will move out to different parts of the world this End-Time.
A vision can also be for religious groups like RCCG or CAC. Though the common vision is to evangelize the world through verbal and non-verbal means, individual or group vision will determine the kind of commitment such persons or groups of people will demonstrate in their services towards God and humanity .And so if a person wants to be committed or get dedicated in the things of God, such a person should get a vision to run with (Hab 2:2,KJV)
The Gestation Period of a Vision. In line with Hab. 2:2, every vision has a gestation period or an appointed time. And so during the waiting period there will be series of trials, temptations, discouragements etc, that will be allowed to test the validity of the vision. Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David etc, are examples of Fathers of Faith who passed through such trials/tests, temptations and frustrations before they could fulfill their visions.
Vision: The benefits
1. It makes someone to be focused in life. Without a clear-cut vision, a person of group of people may be groping in the darkness for years. To be successful in life is to bring God good pleasure by finding and stay focused to His heavenly vision. To be successful is not just to amass wealth while doing other people’s business.
2. Vision purifies and sanctifies so that the Visionary can be made ready for the Master’s good use. In a big mansion, there are many vessels- some to honour and others to dishonour as the Scripture puts it.
3. Vision also brings provision. God will not give a vision that He is not ready to provide for just as He did through Noah, Moses, David and Solomon, to mention a few.
4. More importantly, vision lengthens life. No matter the level of frustrations, trials and temptations, if a vision carrier or Visionary is dedicated and stay focused to his or her vision/calling, God will not allow the person’s life to be cut short until the fulfillment of the vision.
We could see the example in the life of David who was destined to be king. And because of that, God had to preserve his life from the dangers of wild animals in the bush, Goliath in the war- front and from King Saul who was actually hunting for him to ensure that David’s vision was aborted prematurely. Another example was that of Saul before he became Paul the Apostle. He suffered so many persecutions including a ship- wreck that could have claimed his life. But his heavenly given vision preserved his life until he was ready to go and meet his Master after fulfilling his Ministry as the Apostle to the Gentiles; and so the type of a vision that a man or a woman carries will determine the type of trials/tests, or persecutions that will be allowed to come his or her way. That is why the Scripture enjoin us not to do comparison with ourselves. In other words, we should not compare ourselves with one another.
To justify his forthcoming Second-Tenure in office, President Muhammad Buhari should set 4 -Points Agenda for his administration and stay focused to them since he has a vision to stay in office for the next four years, by GOD’S grace.
First of all, he should rise up to the challenge of insecurity in the land. The vision for a secure country should be clear from day one. There is a palpable fear in the country through the increasing waves of kidnapping, armed robbery, armed banditry, cultism and other related violent crimes. Some organs of the government are blaming the Opposition or those who lost elections for some of these security challenges. Such organs of the government or security apparatus may know much better than members of public. Notwithstanding, it is the primary duty of any government to safeguard the lives and properties of its citizens.
The government should tackle this challenge with every sincerity of purpose if it actually means business. And we are of the opinion that our security agencies and members of our Intelligence Community have the right vision and know what to do in order to stamp out armed-robbery, armed banditry, kidnappers’ cells and other organized criminals’ domains wherever they may be located.
Secondly, President Buhari in his second tenure should continue and intensify his fight against corruption. The vision for a corruption-free society is one of his cardinal visions. By the time the President spreads his tentacles to members of his own Ruling Party – All Progressives Congress (APC) and some purported sacred cows within and outside his government, the Opposition will know that Mr. President means business and the allegation of witch-hunting them will fizzle out.
The third point is for the President to fix and grow the Economy. The government should diversify our economy from Oil and Gas sector to other sectors like Agriculture, Mining and Tourism which can be a difficult feat to achieve if the nation is not properly secured and the monster called corruption is not properly handled and tackled.
Lastly, the government should provide the necessary visionary leadership for the other African nations aimed at discouraging the youths from walking into death traps of slavery setup by the Arabian nations with the alleged supports or connivance of some European countries who are reportedly patronizing these mindless Arabs for our kiths and kins’ human parts under dehumanizing conditions.
And this fourth agenda can be achieved when the above three points are achieved and visible on ground. Our youth are being tempted to leave Africa soils for the so called “greener pastures” across the Mediterranean sea where they either perished on transit or ended up in slavery, forced prostitution or human-being butchers who harvested their vital organs for commercial purposes and for the medical needs of some members of European Union (EU).
However in the meantime, the government of President Buhari should provide the necessary leadership for other African countries to rescue our youths that are trapped in Libya, Saudi Arabia, etc in human-parts farms, slavery, forced prostitution and other unprintable conditions that our youths are being subjected to. The vision to achieve this must be clear from day one.
And back at home, the government should ensure the early release of Leah Sharibu and other girls. If the Ruling Party through the Second Tenure of President Muhammed Buhari can pursue and achieve these 4 points Agenda, it will justify the confidence that the Nigerian Electorate has reposed in it by giving the Party a Second chance to rule the country again for the next four years by GOD’S grace. It will show that it is a party with a clear vision. We pray and hope that the President with his new Cabinet Members and other top government functionaries and aides will not let the Nigerian electorate down in JESUS Name.
Gbemiga Olakunle, JP
General Secretary, National Prayer Movement
