How to maintain vision during challenging times

I was at a leaders gathering recently and someone asked  me a question on ‘maintaining your vision’ during difficult times, meaning when people criticize the vision and no resources to fulfill your dreams and so on. My immediate answer was: ‘Its HARD’, I gave him a few tips, hope they were ok, but here are some lessons I have learnt along the way that have helped me to sustain my faith in God and the vision that God has placed in my heart.

1. Don’t listen to critics. The negative people, especially the ones who never took any risk in their lives for God. Just because they have been Christians for a long time, it does not give them the right to criticize the risk you are taking to extend the Kingdom of God. Most people are critical because they are scared of the risk or the costs involved. By the way if you are a pastor, those are the types of people that should not be on your leadership team. They will kill the dream, suck the life out of you, come up with all sorts of excuses, even quote Bible verses to satisfy their lack of faith. These are the people who will try to make church ‘a nice little kumbayah fellowship’.
2. Prayer. Your prayer life is so important during challenging times. Maintain an open line with God. I have a spot on Mangere Mountain where I go to when I need to pray those prayers that I don’t want anyone to hear. There is a tree there that knows all my prayer requests, my complaints to God and even the names of the people that I mention in my prayers. One of the best advice I received as a young pastor was ‘Find yourself some intercessors”. Let them know of what is going on and any opposition you are facing.
3. Let the problems become your teacher. Look at the situation you are facing, let it teach you something new. Open your eyes, ears and heart and learn, even if you have faced that problem before. Its never too late to learn. Find the lessons in every trial, and in every problem. Journal those lessons, write them down so that when the storm is over you can say, ‘thank God for those times, I am now a better person, a better leader because of those problems’.
4. Maintain a sweet spirit. Criticisms can quickly give you a long face, a hardened heart and an angry spirit. Listen to worship songs.  Always operate in the opposite spirit. When they criticize you, speak well of them. When they talk of you, you pray for them.
5. Surround yourself with the right people: Listen to people who are encouraging and positive. People who have your heart and your back not just your face. Hang out with them. You may have to pay for the meals but it’s worth it.
6. If you have to confront the culprit, go for it. God will give you the wisdom and words to say. Let love be in abundance!
7. Never listen to the ‘Lack of Resource’ lie. There is no such thing. Resources follow ministry. If ministry follows resources you will end up in a mess. Some people will only start a ministry if there is money available. My advice is, start a ministry if God has called you and if there is a need. Money or no money!  Negative people find it hard to believe and understand that principle.
8. Focus on the Big Picture and the end result. Most critics only see the tip of the ice berg. You the visionary know more and have seen more in your spirit. Stay Focused.