The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps — we must step up the stairs.

Havner’s aphorism contrasts aspiration with action. “Vision” names the ability to see a goal—spiritual renewal, moral reform, or any worthwhile calling—while “venture” stresses the risk and commitment required to pursue it. The staircase image sharpens the point: contemplation (“stare up the steps”) can become a substitute for obedience or effort, especially in religious life where ideals are often admired more than enacted. The line functions as a rebuke to passivity and a summons to disciplined follow-through: insight must translate into concrete steps, even when progress is incremental and costly. In Havner’s preaching style, the punchy parallelism makes the admonition memorable and easily applied.