January 27, 2010
I received an email not long ago from an older gentlemen who was asking for prayer after his optometrist diagnosed recently that he has glaucoma. Although I was slightly familiar with the eye disorder, one that is often a leading cause of blindness for more than half of the 2.5 million Americans currently suffering from glaucoma, I decided to do a little more research about it.
Glaucoma occurs when there is a dangerous buildup of internal eye pressure, which eventually decreases one’s ability to see out the edges of the eye and lose his or her peripheral vision. Even though one’s central vision may be intact, glaucoma narrows one’s line of sight, a symptom many call ‘tunnel vision.’
I realize after reading all this, some of you may be scheduling that trip to the eye doctor you’ve been ducking for about a year now.
Can’t even remember the last time I’ve been (which is sad).
While I’m grateful to God that He has blessed me (in the natural) so far with unimpaired vision, as it relates to my current journey as a leader, especially in today’s social media driven culture, one that is now consumed with gathering and leveraging fans and followers for our own personal pursuits…
…perhaps tunnel vision is not such a bad diagnosis after all.
I was speaking with two local leaders here in Atlanta on yesterday, who happen to be husband and wife, and we were discussing the constant temptation many of us as leaders go through to respond and react based upon what’s going AROUND us, versus maintaining our focus on what is going on AHEAD of us.
While our interconnectivity to today’s culture has indeed created new opportunities to serve and make an impact in the lives of others, it has also made it all the more difficult to embrace the importance of disengagement and a time of solitude with a God who loves to communicate with us without distraction.
In short, it is very dangerous to lead ANYONE when you are being led by EVERYONE.
I dare you (as a leader) to be willing to lose your peripheral vision
in order to keep Christ in your line of sight.
