Become a Visionary

Once we know who God has called us to be and designed us to function as, it is important that we then find out what our purpose is. Vision is the discovery of what God plans for your life. It is foresight with insight.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A VISION

It is important that each of us have a vision for what God wants us to do. The church should have a corporate vision, but each of us must see ourselves as individuals with personal visions that come together to make up a greater vision.

Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." (KJV)

Proverbs 29:18 "When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is happy." (NLT)

If there is a lack of vision we cast off restraint. We find a good example of this in the book of Judges. Judges is the story of the children of Israel in a cycle of disobedience and repentance after crossing into the Promised Land. Joshua had died and the people fell under the influence of various nations, and God, in His grace, raised up men and women called judges. Through their disobedience towards God, the Israelites broke their covenant with God. Each time they disobeyed and repented, God would raise up a judge to deliver them, but this was a stopgap measure at best. The last verse of the last chapter of Judges gives us a stunning picture concerning the necessity of vision and how people perish when there is none: "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit (what was right in their own eyes)" (Judges 21:25)

When we don't seek the vision of the King, we cast off restraint. We do what is right in our own eyes and estimation and ultimately, we will perish having accomplished little or nothing for the Kingdom of God.

WHY IS HAVING A VISION POWERFUL?

A vision inspires action. A powerful vision pulls in ideas, people and other resources. It creates the energy and will to make change happen. It inspires individuals to commit, to persist and to give their best.

A vision is a practical guide for creating plans, setting goals and objectives, making decisions, and coordinating and evaluating your impact and effectiveness.

A vision helps keep you focused on what you believe to be the calling of God upon your life. It means that you maintain your focus and run the race that God gives you even if others push you into another direction.

A vision encourages unity: In a ministry a shared vision changes people's relationship to one another. When a leader casts a vision in a church, it is no longer "their church," it becomes "our church." The ministry's vision encourages and allows people to come together and work together. It creates a common identity in two ways. First, it signals to all where the ministry is going. It says that if you want to go where we are going, then climb on board—let us go together. Second, it fosters the retention of congregants and staff. A common vision says that we are working together toward the same goals. We need each other if anything significant is going to happen for Christ. This, in effect, mirrors such passages as 1 Corinthians 12:20–22 and Ephesians 4:15–16.

A vision creates energy: Not much happens without an inspiring, compelling vision. Not much was happening in Nehemiah's day. The people had no vision. Jerusalem lay in ruins, and no one was motivated to do anything about it (Nehemiah 1:3). Then along came Nehemiah with a vision from God to rebuild the gates and walls of the city. Visions are exciting and they energize people. They strike a spark—the excitement that lifts a ministry organization out of the mundane. They supply the fuel that lights the fire under a congregation. A vision from God has the potential to turn a maintenance mentality into a ministry mentality. And when your vision resonates with your values and mission, it generates the energy that fuels the accomplishment of the ministry task.

A vision provides purpose: The right vision creates meaning in people's lives. It gives them a sense of divine purpose in life. They are a part of something great that God is accomplishing at this time and place in history. With a shared vision, people see themselves not just as another congregant or a "pew warmer," but as a vital part of a church that is having a powerful impact on a lost and dying world. They are not simply in a church; they are on a mission. They are part of a revolution that has the potential to change this world, to have a wonderful impact for Christ.

A vision enhances leadership: Developing a vision and then living it vigorously are essential elements of leadership. A leader can be summarized as a godly servant who knows where he or she is going and has followers. That describes not only the Saviour, but His disciples and those who ministered in the early church as recorded in Acts. Godly servants are people who display Christ-like character throughout the ministry organization. They exhibit the fruit of the Spirit, given in Galatians 5:22–23. They know where they are going and where they are leading their ministry. They have a dynamic mission and, most important, a clear, energizing vision that paints a picture of the future.

A vision promotes excellence: God desires that His people minister and serve with excellence on His behalf. This calls for ministry excellence. Whatever we do for Christ must be done well, not sloppily or haphazardly. In the Old Testament God required that people give their best when they brought animals for sacrifice (Leviticus 22:20–22). This was excellence in worship. In the New Testament Paul explains that God expects us to put forth our best efforts in our work. He says to perform as if we are working for Him (Ephesians 6:5–8; Colossians 3:23–24). This is excellence in the marketplace.

A vision sustains ministry: Ministry can be very difficult, even painful. Discouragement and disappointment often lurk in the ministry hallways. Persecution and opposition is one of the normal events that happen to us when we are willing and obedient to be a servant of God (See Acts 8:1). In the Book of Hebrews 11 we see a list of martyrs who were willing to die for their vision and dreams. What has sustained Christians from the beginning of the church in the Book of Acts up to today? One answer is a biblical, compelling vision. It encourages people to look beyond the mundane and the pain of ministry. It keeps a picture in front of them that distracts from what is and announces what could be. All the trouble and grief that we experience in this world while serving the Saviour is trivial compared to the importance of what we are attempting for Him.

WHERE SHOULD OUR VISION COME FROM?

God is a dream giver. He has dreams for each of us that He intends to bring to pass if we are willing to listen and obey. Because of His greatness He is able to fulfil those dreams if we follow His lead and direction. When we look at the Bible we see many examples of how He gave men and women visions of what God was going to do in their lives:

• Abraham was given the vision of being the father of many

Genesis 12:1-3 "Then the Lord told Abram, 'Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you. I will cause you to become the father of a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and I will make you a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.'" Genesis 15:5 "Then the Lord brought Abram outside beneath the night sky and told him, 'Look up into the heavens and count the stars if you can. Your descendants will be like that—too many to count!'"

• Joseph received a vision of becoming a great leader

Genesis 37:5-9 "One night Joseph had a dream and promptly reported the details to his brothers, causing them to hate him even more. 'Listen to this dream,' he announced. 'We were out in the field tying up bundles of grain. My bundle stood up, and then your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before it!' 'So you are going to be our king, are you?' his brothers taunted. And they hated him all the more for his dream and what he had said. Then Joseph had another dream and told his brothers about it. 'Listen to this dream,' he said. 'The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!'"

• Moses was given the vision to lead the people out of Egypt

Exodus 3:7-10 "Then the Lord told him, 'You can be sure I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries for deliverance from their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. So I have come to rescue them from the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own good and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites live. The cries of the people of Israel have reached me, and I have seen how the Egyptians have oppressed them with heavy tasks. Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You will lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.'"

• Joshua was given the vision to take the people into the promised land

Joshua followed the lead of God when he pursued the vision of the Promised Land. Abraham many years before Joshua received a vision and a dream of a land (Genesis 15:7-21). Over and over again God reinforced this vision by repeating this vision, first to Abraham (Genesis 22:15-18, Hebrews 6:18-20), then to Moses (Exodus 3:16-17) and finally to Joshua. Deuteronomy 31:7-8 "Then Moses called for Joshua, and as all Israel watched he said to him, 'Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the Lord swore to give their ancestors. You are the one who will deliver it to them as their inheritance. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord is the one who goes before you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor forsake you.'" Joshua 1:1-6 "After the death of Moses the Lord's servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' assistant. He said, 'Now that my servant Moses is dead, you must lead my people across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. I promise you what I promised Moses: Everywhere you go, you will be on land I have given you— from the Negev Desert in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River on the east to the Mediterranean Sea on the west, and all the land of the Hittites. No one will be able to stand their ground against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. Be strong and courageous, for you will lead my people to possess all the land I swore to give their ancestors.'"

• David was given the vision of being the next king of Israel

1 Samuel 16:10-12 "In the same way all seven of Jesse's sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, 'The Lord has not chosen any of these.' Then Samuel asked, 'Are these all the sons you have?' 'There is still the youngest,' Jesse replied. 'But he's out in the fields watching the sheep.' 'Send for him at once,' Samuel said. 'We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.' So Jesse sent for him. He was ruddy and handsome, with pleasant eyes. And the Lord said, 'This is the one; anoint him.'"

• David was given the vision to return the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem

1 Chronicles 13:1-3 "David consulted with all his officials, including the generals and captains of his army. Then he addressed the entire assembly of Israel as follows: 'If you approve and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send messages to all the Israelites throughout the land, including the priests and Levites in their towns and pasturelands. Let us invite them to come and join us. It is time to bring back the Ark of our God, for we neglected it during the reign of Saul.'"

• Solomon was given the vision of building the Temple

1 Kings 5:2-5 "Then Solomon sent this message back to Hiram: 'You know that my father, David, was not able to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord his God because of the many wars he waged with surrounding nations. He could not build until the Lord gave him victory over all his enemies. But now the Lord my God has given me peace on every side, and I have no enemies and all is well. So I am planning to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God, just as he instructed my father that I should do. For the Lord told him, 'Your son, whom I will place on your throne, will build the Temple to honor my name.''"

• Isaiah was given a vision of being God's mouthpiece

Isaiah 6:8 "Then I heard the Lord asking, 'Whom should I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go for us?' And I said, 'Lord, I'll go! Send me.'"

• The Early Church was given a vision of being His witnesses

Acts 1:8 "But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

• Peter received a vision of being a minister to the household of Cornelius

See Acts 10:9-16. Acts 10:17-21 "Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? Just then the men sent by Cornelius found the house and stood outside at the gate. They asked if this was the place where Simon Peter was staying. Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, 'Three men have come looking for you. Go down and go with them without hesitation. All is well, for I have sent them.' So Peter went down and said, 'I'm the man you are looking for. Why have you come?'"

• Paul received the vision to be God's bond servant

Romans 1:1 "This letter is from Paul, Jesus Christ's slave, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News."

HOW WILL WE KNOW WHEN OUR VISION IS FROM GOD?

"How do I know which vision or dreams in my heart are from God?" Here is the answer. You will know it's God's dream if:

• It is bigger than you

God is the author of bigness, not smallness. The first test you can apply to your vision is: "Is it too big for me to fulfil without God's help?" If you can do it without His help, you are not dreaming big enough. If it's much bigger than you, you are on the right track. The Bible promises that all things are possible with God. Is your dream impossible enough? Does it go beyond you enough to qualify for God's help? Your dream should be so big that it takes your breath away, makes you temporarily weak in the knees, and makes you cry out to God for help and guidance.

• You can't let it go

Next, are you able to let this vision go, or does it keep bugging you? A God-given dream is a bothersome thing: it won't leave you alone! It keeps bobbing to the surface of your heart, clamouring for your mind's attention. If that's how your dream behaves, then it is probably from God.

• You would be willing to give everything for it

You also know it's a God-given dream if you are willing to devote every ounce of energy and every minute of your day to it. A dream inspires devotion like the devotion a parent has for a child: you would give your very life just to see it grow and find fulfilment. Paul was willing to die for the vision that he had been given. Paul said, "…I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in jail more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jews gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled many weary miles. I have faced danger from flooded rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the stormy seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be Christians but are not. I have lived with weariness and pain and sleepless nights. Often I have been hungry and thirsty and have gone without food. Often I have shivered with cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm." (2 Corinthians 11:22-27)

• It will last forever

Will your dream last forever? Many people pursue dreams built on things that will fade away. They dream of fame, but fame never lasts. Others build dreams on wealth, health or power, but none of these last more than a few decades at most. You must build your dreams on something that will last. Only two things in the entire world will last forever: truth and people. "Heaven and earth will pass away, but God's Word will never pass away". You have to build your dream on that never-changing foundation. The second thing that lasts forever is people. God made human beings to last forever. Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost, to die for people. That's how we should spend our lives, too. 1 Corinthians 3:11-14 "For no one can lay any other foundation than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Now anyone who builds on that foundation may use gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone's work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value. If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward."

• It meets a need nobody else has met

Your dream must be built on human need. Will it help people? Improve lives? Alleviate human suffering? Does it fill a need nobody else is filling? If so, you can be sure that dream is from God. The secret to happiness in life is pouring into other people, giving without expecting anything in return.

• It brings glory to God

Finally, your dream should bring glory to God. Jesus brought glory to God: John 17:1 "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee." We are told to bring Him glory: Proverbs 3:6 "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." 1 Corinthians 10:31 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

THE THREE KEY ELEMENTS OF VISION

VISION IS THE ABILITY TO SEE: AWARENESS

Vision is a visual picture, a mental picture of the result you want to achieve—a picture so clear and strong it will help make that result real. A vision is not a vague wish or dream or hope. It's a picture of the real results of real efforts. Vision is a word picture of the future from God's perspective. Bill Hybels says it is "a picture of the future that produces passion in you." It is something that will motivate you enough by eliciting emotions. Unlike purpose which is the general intent of a person, vision is a specific result. It therefore is not a reinstatement of purpose. It is dynamic and unfolds over time as God reveals it to you.

Joshua and Caleb were able to have this type of visionary sight. Numbers 14:6-9 "Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. They said to the community of Israel, 'The land we explored is a wonderful land! And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey, and he will give it to us! Do not rebel against the Lord, and don't be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don't be afraid of them!'" Having a vision is more than just looking on the bright side. It is looking on God's side. Finding the vision God has for us takes time and prayer.

Hebrews 11:24-27 "It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be treated as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of the Messiah than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the great reward that God would give him. It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt. He was not afraid of the king. Moses kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible."

VISION IS THE FAITH TO BELIEVE: ATTITUDE

Steve Goodier says "Both the hummingbird and the vulture fly over our nation's deserts. All vultures see is rotting meat, because that is what they look for. They thrive on that diet. But hummingbirds ignore the smelly flesh of dead animals. Instead, they look for the colourful blossoms of desert plants. The vultures live on what was. They live on the past. They fill themselves with what is dead and gone. But hummingbirds live on what is. They seek new life. They fill themselves with freshness and life. Each bird finds what it is looking for. We all do."

Satan's greatest attack on the vision that God gives each of us is our attitude. An attitude that says "Nobody else cares so why should I." An attitude that says "Nobody appreciates anything I do so let's see what they do when I don't." Faith is the food that visions live on. Without faith, our vision will wither on the vine. Romans 4:18-21 "When God promised Abraham that he would become the father of many nations, Abraham believed him. God had also said, 'Your descendants will be as numerous as the stars,' even though such a promise seemed utterly impossible! And Abraham's faith did not weaken, even though he knew that he was too old to be a father at the age of one hundred and that Sarah, his wife, had never been able to have children. Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was absolutely convinced that God was able to do anything he promised."

God help us to have enough faith in God to believe.

VISION IS THE COURAGE TO DO: ACTION

Faith includes action. The courage of vision is to say "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you by walking on water" (Matthew 14:28). The courage of vision is to say "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15). The courage of vision is to say "If God be for us, who can be against us" (Romans 8:31). The courage of vision is to say "The trials of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glory of the next life" (Romans 8:18).

DEVELOPING YOUR VISION

STEP ONE: PRAY FOR A VISION

Nehemiah prayed for the vision to go and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:1-11). Peter was praying when he received his vision to go and speak to the Gentiles. Acts 10:9-10 "The next day as Cornelius's messengers were nearing the city, Peter went up to the flat roof to pray. It was about noon, and he was hungry. But while lunch was being prepared, he fell into a trance." Acts 10:19-20 "Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, 'Three men have come looking for you. Go down and go with them without hesitation. All is well, for I have sent them.'"

The first and most important part of developing your vision is getting alone with God and praying. One reason people never discover their dream and purpose in life is that they never stop long enough to listen. If we desire to hear from God concerning the vision and purpose of our life, then we need to pray and ask God to reveal the vision that He has for our lives. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God."

STEP TWO: THINK BIG

Ephesians 1:15-19 "Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for Christians everywhere, I have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he has promised to those he called. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his people. I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power…"

When Paul prayed this prayer for the church at Ephesus, his prayer was that the people would have the spiritual eyes to be able to perceive the great plans that God had for them. Jeremiah also spoke of these plans when he prophesied and said, "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). Jesus spoke of the greatness of the vision for ministry. Matthew 9:36-38 "He felt great pity for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn't know where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, 'The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send out more workers for his fields.'"

STEP THREE: REVIEW YOUR GIFTS AND TALENTS

In Romans 12:6 we are told that we have each been given gifts and talents to operate effectively within the Body of Christ. God gave you the gifts you have; you didn't choose them. True fulfilment comes when we use those gifts for Him in service of our dream. Your gifts are the key to discovering God's will in your life.

Until you know who you are, why God created you, why you are here, life will simply be a confusing experiment. If you can sincerely answer the following questions with clarity and confidence in regards to your personal identity, it will help you a great deal.

• Who am I?
• How have I been created like my Source? (Genesis 1:26-28)
• Why am I here?

STEP FOUR: REVIEW YOUR EXPERIENCE

We must pay attention not only to our desires and talents, but also to our past history. Moses used his experience that he had received as a shepherd to fulfil the vision of leading the people out of Egypt. Joseph used his experience of being a dream interpreter which he had learnt whilst in jail to put him in a position where his dream was realised. Paul used his knowledge of the Jewish law to minister to those who were Jews.

Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."

God will use our past experiences to fulfil the vision that He has given to us. God wants to integrate your hurts and difficulties into your life message. He never wastes circumstances, even bad ones. Before you became a believer, God was working to redeem the problems you faced. Not all things are good, but all things will work for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. 2 Corinthians 1:4 says God helps us in our troubles so we can help others who have troubles, using the same help we ourselves have received from God. When you grasp that, it will change the way you view your life circumstances, and it will help you discover your dream.

STEP FIVE: JOURNAL YOUR DREAM

Once you are able to define your dream, write it down. Habakkuk 2:2 says, "Then the Lord answered me and said: 'Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.'" A vision that is not written down will soon be forgotten. God wrote down His vision for creation in the Bible. If you want to move ahead in your dream, you must write it down–inscribe it indelibly. It is not enough to have an idea of what you want to do; you must have a plan for implementing it. Dreams do not come true by fantasizing–you have to write them down and let them become a guiding force in your life. Vision when written down plainly gets you focused on God's program rather than on your own.

When you are writing down your vision ask yourself the following questions:

• Is my vision clear? Will other people be able to understand what I believe my purpose to be?
• Is the dream and vision challenging? Is it big enough to know that without God it is impossible to achieve?
• Is the vision visual? Have I got a clear picture of what God is going to do in and through my life?
• Is the dream future orientated?

STEP SIX: DEVELOP A SOLID PLAN FOR YOUR GOAL

Proverbs 16:1 "We can gather our thoughts, but the Lord gives the right answer." Proverbs 16:9 "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps."

If you don't have clear and fruitful plans and goals for your vision how can the Lord guide and direct or establish your plans? He committed to direct our steps once we make adequate plans to move toward what our heart desire. This is why we are told to write down our goals, plans and vision.

Jesus said that no wise person will desire advancement in life without working out the details or planning for it. Luke 14:28-30 "But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first getting estimates and then checking to see if there is enough money to pay the bills? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of funds. And then how everyone would laugh at you! They would say, 'There's the person who started that building and ran out of money before it was finished!'"

The truth is when you lack a plan, opportunities will pass you by. Look at a ship, it has a compass so that the navigator can know what direction he is going to, it has a rudder so the pilot can steer it. However, a ship is given a specific course-a plan-by the captain, so that it can arrive at its destination. All three are vital to arriving at the destination, the compass, the rudder and the plan. Just because it has a rudder doesn't mean that it can get to its destination without a plan and without a captain. Likewise, life has given many people clear sailing (opportunities), yet, because they have no destination, they never make it out to port. When a contractor is building a structure, he uses the blueprint. That is his plan for his vision or goal, which is the finished building (our vision or goals and dreams are the finished building). The contractor needs to constantly go back to it from time to time to see if the building is going on according to plan. So if a man has no plan for his life, he has nothing to refer to along the way, he does not know if he is on or off the track.

SUMMARY

If we are going to become effective leaders of influence then we need to be visionaries. We need to have a vision of God's plan for our lives so that we do not miss out on the opportunities of ministry that He has already prepared for us.

If we have been walking without a vision and direction from God then we need to stop and spend some time asking God where He wants us to move, where He wants us to minister and where He wants us to influence others. We need to begin to see His plans for our lives, have faith enough to believe that God can do it through us and then take steps towards seeing God's plans in our lives.

Being a leader means that we walk with purpose. We do not walk aimlessly fulfilling what others would have us do, but we walk in His vision, in His plans and in His way. We need to find out not only our gifting but also where we should be using that gifting on a day to day basis.