When People Don't Understand the Vision God Gave You

At a recent Leaders' Table event, one of our women told me some friends had been talking about her behind her back: "Is she even ready for that? Who does she think she is?" My first thought was, of course they don't get it. God didn't give them the vision.

I heard plenty of that when I left corporate America. Are you sure? Isn't that market saturated? Why would you leave what you worked so hard for? And honestly, I didn't help anything. I knew I was supposed to build a business network for Christian women, and instead I started a general Facebook group that never mentioned faith. I gave God a watered-down yes for close to two years.

Listen to Episode 127 - Your Vision Doesn't Need a Vote

Are you asking for permission instead of seeking wise counsel?

How often are we asking for permission when what we actually need is wisdom? If I keep asking people who can't see the vision to validate it, their fears start becoming mine. So I've gotten choosier about who speaks into what I'm building.

That doesn't mean nobody gets to question me. My first test is whether it lines up with Scripture. My second is whether the people I listen to point me back to God and ask if I've prayed about it. Wise counsel can and should challenge my strategy, my pricing, and my messaging. Someone questioning how I'm building is different from someone questioning whether I should. It also helps to write the vision down (Habakkuk 2:2) before everyone else's opinions get mixed in.

Expansion requires elimination

I've laid down sales workshops and coaching that I'm good at and enjoy, because they were competing for attention The Leaders' Table needs. This week I turned down a speaking spot at an online summit that fit perfectly, and my ego hated it. But if your calendar, your offers, and your attention are already full, where exactly is the expansion supposed to go?

Elimination doesn't have to mean cutting people off. It might mean ending an offer, delegating, hiring, limiting who gets access to your vision, or putting down your phone.

Two questions to sit with this week: What do I genuinely believe God has asked me to build? And whose permission am I still waiting on before I fully commit?

Scripture referenced

• Habakkuk 2:2: write the vision and make it plain

• Proverbs 15:22: plans succeed with many advisers

• Galatians 1:10: seeking the approval of man or of God

• Philippians 4:19: God will supply every need

FAQs

How do I know if a business vision is from God or my ego? Start with whether it lines up with Scripture. Then pray, and bring it to people who point you back to God instead of just giving their opinion.

What's the difference between wise counsel and permission? Wise counsel challenges how you're building. Permission-seeking asks someone who can't see the vision to make you feel safe enough to move.

Is it okay to say no to a good opportunity? Yes, when it would take capacity you need for what you're already responsible for.