Family Vision

As I sit at my desk this morning I’m really doing a lot of meditating on vision. You hear a lot of talk about vision these days. Organizations and business’ have visions. Private and Public schools have visions. Churches and ministries have visions. But this morning, I wasn’t thinking about the vision of a successful business, organization, or even church vision—I was thinking about the vision of my own family. As a young man I certainly don't come close to "having all the answers"(nor will I ever), but I am giving my life to seeing God's realities come to pass in my family. I have searched the scriptues about family, seen some of the best examples in the world lived out in front of me, and convinced God has given me the same opportunity as any other believer to see family lived out biblically. I actually have spent some of the morning writing out a "vision" for my nuclear family unit.

When you talk about vision, you are talking about an unfolding future possibility. Have you ever thought about the future possibilities or realities for your own family? What it could become? What your marriage could be like? What your children could become? What your home could be to the community it was placed in?
We have strategies and plans to meet our monthly quotas in business. We have our strategies and plans to give young people the best education possible. We have strategies and plans to give excellent service and quality food at restaurants but have you ever considered what your strategy and plan is for your own family becoming a biblically functioning family? A family that is striving to be the family the word of God says it can be? The type of family that dares to carry out the God given, God ordained, and God mandated roles and responsibilities the Bible gives it? The family that looks so absolutely different then the families that make up “the world” and our culture around us? This doesn’t just “happen” anymore than a business man with no business plan thinking he can just “wing it” and believe he can reach his personal or companies goals. It must be purposeful, intentional, and focused.
We live in a world, even in the church world, where marriages are crumbling by the minute. Marriages that don’t necessarily even end up in divorce but marriages that are a far cry from the type of marriage the Bible says believers are to have. Many of “Christian” marriages still look so much like the world. Passive husbands/fathers not taking the spiritual role of leadership that God Almighty commands and demands of them. Wives/Mothers who are fighting to “prove themselves” that they are just as capable as “making it in the world” as their spouse. Spouses who nag, fight, and belittle one another. Children/Teenagers who “run the house” and show more respect and honor to a stranger than to their own parents. Young adults who are leaving the faith by the droves after high school. Is this what Christ died for? Is this the life Christ died to give us? Is this the reality of a biblically functioning home?
An athletic team would never go on the playing field without a game plan. An army would never go to battle without a battle plan. This is much more important than a football game. We are talking about a game plan that would combat the devices of the enemy of the family of God and an offense to see God’s possibilities for our lives and families become a reality for our lives and families.

The bible is our “road map”. The Bible is our “instruction manual”. The Bible is God’s way for God’s family to live the life of God in our homes. It shows us who we are, who we can become. It shows us how our families are to live and what our families can become.

Is there such a thing as perfect unity in a marriage? Is there such a thing as a husband that loves, leads, and models a godly example to his wife and kids? Is there such a thing as a wife that helps her husband fulfill the work and destiny of her husband? Is there such a thing as a wife that respects and submits to her husband? Is there such a thing as children who actually obey and honor their parents? Is there such a thing of multi-generational faithfulness? Can these things become a reality or is it just wishful thinking? Not only can these things become a reality they must become a reality. Not only can they happen, they must happen!

Family is the heartbeat of God. It is the basic unit of relationships. It is the foundation on which churches and communities thrive. And it is the very thing that the enemy has targeted and attempted to destroy in order to hinder the church, discipleship, evangelism, and multi-generational faithfulness. It is the very thing we must “get back” in order to save our dying world.
I encourage you to sit down, search the scriptures, and write out what God says about a true biblical family. You will find it weaved throughout the entire word of God.

“Without vision the people perish”. (Proverbs 29:18)

Without true biblical vision our families will perish.