The Purpose-Driven Family

When was the last time you served, as a family, with efforts of benefiting the people around you?

When we lived in Virginia, there was one family that we knew that dumbfounded me with all of the ways that they worked to live life ON PURPOSE.  They went on mission trips together, served at soup kitchens together, and even did intentional (not “random”…but purposeful!) acts of service for those living closest to them – their neighbors.  It seemed that this family stopped at nothing to live their lives out as a blessing to others, and it got me thinking.  What if families across America operated the same way as our friends?  What if families lived out their day-to-day lives looking for ways to serve others?  What if, instead of choosing to live “service-oriented lives” independently, they worked as a unit (the one God already appointed in their home), and tried to intentionally serve those around them?   Not only would they accomplish the mission of serving the people in their own community, one that we can all agree is a mandate, but they would also accomplish the goal of raising up their children with an attitude of service, which may, in turn result in students and adults that live in a world where it’s not “all about them!”

So, how do you become this “Purpose-Driven Family?”  It’s not an overnight process, and is one that we’ll work on unpacking for weeks to come, but here are a few starting points, for your home-life ON MISSION, this week.

1.    Together, choose a Mission…and stick to it!

Together, as a family, pick a goal for your family to work toward.  Whether it’s serving an area at your church (yes, that may mean going to more than your usual 1 or 2 services so that you can volunteer in the preschool class that they’re desperately trying to fill), serving your neighbors (invite them over for dinner, bake some cookies and bring them to them), or serving the teachers at the school nearby (write them an encouraging note, create “care packages” for them on their first teacher work-day) work to find an avenue where your family can work TOGETHER to make a difference in someone else’s life.

2.     Pick a date on the calendar for your “Mission Day!”

Great ideas are created every day, but unfortunately they stay in their “great idea state” forever, because legs are never given to them.  Pull out the calendar (or calendars, if you have a super-busy family!), and pick a day where everyone can commit to be available.  Once it’s chosen, write your Mission Project on each person’s calendar…. in PEN!  That means, it’s not moved, changed, or scheduled over.  It’s a priority that everyone is committing to stick to.

3.     Pray for your project!

Great things can happen when you commit with your family to serve others.  Praying together allows each person to be available to whatever it is that God wants to use your family to accomplish through your mission project.  It may be as simple as having the open door to answering questions about “why” you chose to serve in the first place.  What an incredible opportunity to share with others about the great God that you serve, and the reason for the Hope in Him that you have!