Dad, do you have a vision for your family in the coming year?
If I decided to go on a drive and ask you to take a drive with me, I presume your first questions will be “why?” and “where are we going?” And yet, in our families, we jump in the “car” every day to lead our families, and for the most part, we have no idea why we have a family and where we are going.
WHY HAVE A FAMILY VISION?
Think about it. Why get married? Why have children? Why have a family? What is the purpose of your family?
Having a family vision and mission answers those questions; it’s a tool that brings the future into the present so that we can know and do something about it now. The best way we ensure our future happens is to intentionally create it, and to create it, you must have a vision.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON’T?
If you don’t have a vision for your family, if you don’t lead your family intentionally, somebody else will, whether that is another person or the culture, and that is not OK.
It is so valuable for you as a family to be thinking about a mission statement and letting that protect and guide your family.
Having a shared vision and mission creates a common purpose.
HOW CAN YOU MAKE IT A REALITY?
Ask questions that cover important topics for you as a family, like faith, marriage, family, friends, health, work, money, fun etc. Questions like:
- How important is our faith?
- What are the most important things to us as a family?
- How do you manage work/home life?
- How do we choose to spend/save money?
- How do we choose to rest
It’s important to ask questions that are relevant to you as a family.
WILL THIS YEAR BE DIFFERENT?
How do you want the next year to look for you and your family?
Pray and meditate on questions; what areas do you feel God has been speaking to you about?
Even if its just one thing, take a step in the right direction to implement it into your family life today
Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained…
Proverbs 29:18