2020 Vision

I am often asked, “What is your vision for the future of the SBTC?” Or,“Where do you see yourself in five years?” My answer is usually disappointing because I don’t have something new. I do have goals. I do have expectations. There are milestones I want to reach. There are mountains I want to climb. It is not important that I have a “vision” for the future. It is the revelation of God’s Word that sets the priorities for the future.

Proverbs 29:18 in the King James Version says, “Where there is no vision the people perish…” This mistranslation has caused many misapplications. All the newer translations render the phrase much differently. Even the New King James Version gets it right, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.” What the wise writer of Proverbs was conveying is that when there is no clear word from God people will live rebelliously. It is not someone’s imaginative ideas that should drive us in the New Year. The Word of God will guide us.

Personally, you can never get away from Christianity 101. Private devotional time, witnessing, tithing and the basics of a believer areto be repeated year after year after year. Professionally, there are principles that guide an organization or church. The SBTC’s core values of being biblicallybased, kingdomfocused and missionallydriven (by the Cooperative Program) cannot change. If they do, the SBTC will no longer be the SBTC but something else. Can the SBTC improve in serving the churches? Yes! Are there methods that have to change in order to adjust to culture and demographics? Yes! Whatever is done to address the future has to be based on the unchanging Word of God. 

Twenty-twenty vision is a term used to express normal visual acuity (the clarity or sharpness of vision) measured at a distance of 20 feet. If you have 20/20 vision, you can see clearly at 20 feet what should normally be seen at that distance. If you have 20/100 vision, it means that you must be as close as 20 feet to see what a person with normal vision can see at 100 feet. Having 20/20 vision does not necessarily mean you have perfect vision.  Having great goals or inpiring ideas will not necessarily give you a “Happy New Year”. Only the Word of God can give you a perfect path for the future. As we start a new year in 2020, get perfect vision for your path by staying with the Word of God.