Vision is the ability to see something that is, has been, or will be.
It is the ability to see into the future. It is an unusual competence in discernment or perception; intelligent foresight. It is the ability to use your imagination to foresee or conceive events or things that have not yet happened (future realities). Males without vision cannot be effective leaders, either in their homes or community.
One of the most important character traits a leader possesses is vision. As a culture we are losing our most valuable resource—male leadership. We have lost our vision of what role a man should play in life, and we have let young men drift along dangerously like disabled ships at sea.
Cultures that allow families and communities to exist with no stable, healthy male authority and leadership eventually devolve into chaos. We are seeing the consequences of that in many urban inner city neighborhoods were with upwards of 80 percent fatherless rate there literally are no healthy adult male role models.
Healthy masculine leadership protects the weak. It uses its influence and power to provide safe, life-giving encouragement and provision. It inspires vision in young men and women. Healthy masculinity provides security to all who are around it.
In the Book of Proverbs it is said, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Because of lack of vision (or poor vision) in the leaders today, our country and cultural value system are threatening to collapse in upon itself.
All males, no matter their age, yearn for significance in their lives. They yearn for a battle to fight that means something. Young men run to the battlefield; not because they want to kill or be killed, but because they want to participate in a battle bigger than themselves—one that matters. They want the world to know they existed. God created them this way to make the world safe and healthy.
When we teach our sons the nobility of using the awesome masculine power that God gave us to help others, we give him the ability to define his life—we channel that natural competitiveness, aggressive nature, and yearning for significance that God gave him into healthy, life-giving outlets.
The world has many battles that need to be fought by a group of men and boys banding together. Things like poverty, child and domestic abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, illiteracy, sexual slavery and human trafficking, fatherlessness, and violent behavior. Just like men of lore were adventurers of wild continents, explorers of untamed lands, and conquerors of the unconquerable, we need to give our young men today adventures with noble causes to live their lives for. But without a vision to inspire them many boys settle for a life lesser lived.
Boys need to hear words like strong, brave, talented, and noble in order to assimilate their duty as leaders. They need to have the adults in their lives intentionally speak affirming language that inspires and uplifts them to willingly assume the mantle that leadership imposes upon him. They need to be taught to relish the satisfaction that duty and honor brings to a man.
Explain to your son the natural ability (power) he has as a male to see a larger picture and to be able to see far into the future. Saying he has a special gift like this does not diminish females in any way—it empowers males to use their natural abilities. It also sets expectations in place that he feels compelled to live up to—not necessarily a bad thing.
When you make a decision based on a long-term vision, be sure to explain to your son how and why you are making that decision. It is important that he see what that process looks like as it is implemented so he can better assimilate it.
Question: What is one way you can teach your son the importance of having a long-range vision in life?
