Does Faith Disqualify Sight?

As believers we are called to walk by faith and not by sight. It's honest to admit that we all lean one side or the other and we have to embrace the fact that most of life is divided in half and these two halves make a whole.  What does walking by faith and not by sight really look like? Does faith disqualify sight? If the absence of vision brings endings and not life, then we have say the answer is no.  It's both/and,  not and/or.  

This is paradox at it's greatest and requires a lot of managed tension.  An important question to ask is what does it look like to live with principles that are low risk day to day that serve high risk faith filled decisions that are made season to season?  I believe we must be willing to make directional and correctional decisions that are completely faith filled.  These alter the course of whatever principles we have in motion but never disqualify the need for the principles, they simply reposition the outcome. 

Walking by faith is edgy, risky, robust in nature and brings beginnings that most deem impossible. It's exciting, daring and is the initiator of life.  We must walk by faith.  The challenge in much of Christianity is that many "walk by faith", initiate vision, have "great hearts", but never actually accomplish anything. The opposite is also true. Many say they have faith, but create risk free institutions and lifestyles.  While this group does produce, they don't produce the life Christ intends as His best.  

Both are incomplete when they stand alone.  

So as leaders is it biblically sound to plan in advance and make good decisions based off our currently known information?  Obviously yes, when they serve faith.  Principles allow us to lay foundations through preparation that creates an atmosphere of growth and life.  Enthusiasm and synergy are captured when there is clear vision and the right people are positioned to do the right things.   It can be much more comfortable to simply walk by sight alone, but it can create a sterile and brutal ending.  It may feel safe and even diplomatic at first, but it will eventually neuter the benefits and rewards of living by faith that are needed for long term sustainability.  

Faith and Sight create a beautiful marriage.  

I think of faith as fire and principles as a fireplace.  Principles become the housing for fire to actually accomplish sending it's heat into places it wouldn't ordinarily get to.  Principles expand the opportunity to impact more people and execute transformation at a higher level.  As mentioned earlier, the bigger challenge is once we birth something "in faith" do our principles continue to serve the faith decision or do they overwhelm it and remove the risk of what was originally intended?  True sight continues to focus on the prize and keep the values in place that make faith filled decisions come to fruition.

So where are you at in this journey?  Are you faith filled with no results?  Are you full of results that don't actually capture the heart of God towards your life? I encourage you to pursue walking in the continued tension of faith and sight.  Surround yourself with people who are opposite you and you'll begin to see greater things.  


Connect with me on twitter:  @drew_neal

Do You Ask The Right Questions? Part I

Melissa and I's life has been a journey of many beginnings, we have it in our DNA.  Whether planting churches, going after real-estate investments, putting on a nationally headlined events, or planning to get up in front of thousands of people with a mission or cause,  we have seen successes and learning opportunities. Many of these results where predicated on what questions were asked before starting to execute the projects. Learning to ask the right questions before going after dreams, concepts, causes, vision or ideas makes seeing these things actually become reality and at the highest level possible.  So, what are the right questions?

They're actually very simple and I've found that many people think about the questions, it's answering them honestly and following through that seems to be the toughest part.  Some great questions to ask are:

1. What is the end result we want to have in our endeavor?
2. Who do we involve in our team to accomplish our overall goal?
3. What is our realistic budget and how do we stay within our means?
4. What are the core values that become our guidelines for sustaining the project's focus?
5. Are our goals realistic?
6. What will research tell us about our idea or experience?
7. Is it good or great?
8. Who is our target audience?
9. What is unique about our cause/product/idea that will compel people to engage?
10.  Can you explain your concept in three sentences?

God gave you a brain, so why not use it right?

Questions like these, when answered and used as a guide, set us up for greater success.  It's our responsibility as humans to utilize all the gifts and talents we are given.  Its our way of contributing to the beauty of us all being a "body fitly joined together" (Ephesians 4).  My journey has been full of "learning opportunities" though as I spoke earlier.  We all have the stories where if we would have just made one more adjustment, prepared more or just asked the right question, we would have had the success we were looking for in our endeavor.  I came across someone a few weeks ago that in two questions had me rethinking our conversation for multiple hours.  Questions should push us to know for sure what we believe we know.  Great questions are usually found in having the right people around us.


If you want to optimize your success, I've found that building a great team and surrounding yourself with loyal personal relationships creates a safe place for research, development and of course sounding board.


Having people who think from a different perspective work with you allows for the working out of a concept with rich depth.  This process requires patience, self-control and of course real love in what you're doing.  If you love it, it's worth putting through complete process of discovery that a healthy foundation can be built.  Many relationships are built on constant states of agreement.  I've found that instant agreement as a rule of thumb can create as much havoc as it can momentum.  When different people come together with different perspectives, questions get asked.  It's our job to be honest with the answer and believe in the outcome of that answer.  It takes real relationships to handle this dynamic, but it's possible.

So as leaders who embrace God as a true source in all we do, how do we ask the right questions, plan for the future and still live a lifestyle of risk/faith? I'll address that in my next post of "Do You Ask The Right Questions? PART 2"