A Family Vision

Sacrifice, Love, Honor, Duty, Family, Death, and Life. These words sum up my thoughts as I watched The League of Grateful Sons on Memorial Day. This was the story of men who fought on Iwo Jima during World War II as their children returned to that island to honor their legacy. It is humbling to realize the sacrifice these men made on behalf of their country. The story of “Johnny Boy” Butler especially caught my attention. His father never returned, he died on Iwo Jima. What his father left behind was a treasure store of letters to his son. In those letters he shared of the love and vision he had for his little boy. Those words guided Johnny Boy though his life. I wondered what effect it would have had on Johnny Boy’s life if he didn’t know of the vision his now dead father had for him. What a blessing to have those words that shaped his life.
I was recently speaking to a mother and she was sharing about the days she was raising her young children. She said that she was just trying to keep them clean, fed, and homeschooled day by day. She occasionally thought of the characters being formed, but not often. Her thoughts were on the physical realities of everyday life. I think that is a dangerous way to raise your children, you have no vision. “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18 Children, even your little children, need a guiding vision in their lives. That would be Jesus Christ. If you don’t instill that walk and love of God in their hearts by your own example, precept, and teaching they will be filled with something else in their hearts. Where there is a void it will be filled, and you may not be the one who filled it.
Several years ago I heard the repeated testimony from the pastor of a church in California at the turn of the century. I wrote down the main parts of the testimony as it was shared on the tape. This man was praying about the children in his church. He was petitioning God on their behalf. In the answer he was given in a vision he was told to tell the parents they should try to create an environment in their homes that testified of Jesus Christ. The pictures on the wall, songs they sang, activities during the day, the magazines and books they read should all be selected with utmost care. The whole and total environment situation of the home can be used by the Spirit to testify of Jesus Christ. If parents would do this diligently, the Lord would testify to children of His divinity. This man was praying about the Sunday School classes at his church yet was given a answer directed to the parents. How many parents have this vision for their homes?
A friend was talking to my sister a few days ago. In the midst of a discussion this friend told her that in reality life is boring. What she meant by this is we need to have the strength to walk day by day for Christ in the midst of everyday life. As a young mother with 2 small children I know she deals with runny noses, lack of sleep, dishes, laundry, cleaning, and the ever present diaper that needs changed. It can be a daily hum of routine that becomes monotonous and yes boring. However, she was sharing there is a vision beyond the hum drum of daily life. That is the vision of Christ and what you will teach those children in the day by day at home. You may have seen a family whose children are faltering because mother and father are not teaching them and providing this home set on Christ. Only by the grace of God does the void created in those lives become filled with Christ despite all the parents will not do.
What kind of family vision will your family have? What legacy is there in your family already? If there is a godly legacy teach your children about it. Ask your parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to share with your children the great things God has done in their life. If you do not have a godly family legacy your children can still learn from it. As they grow it can be pointed out how the ungodly choices or living has created a weakness in your family or that person’s life and the wisdom to avoid that path.
None of us can create and fulfill a family vision on our own. You can’t write out a 10 point family vision list and hang it on the fridge for all to see and expect it to come to fruition. It doesn’t begin with you, but it does end with you. If you want that family vision to follow through to the generations beyond begin with this passage of scripture. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage..for we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith..This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary one to the other; so that ye can not do the things ye would…but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh..If ye live by the Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:1,5,16,17,22-25
If you need some encouragement in your vision for your family or home here are a few books to recommend that have encouraged me. The Home Beautiful by J.R. Miller, Mother by Kathleen Morris, and Homemaking by J.R. Miller. These are available at Vision Forum or call them at 1-800-440-0022. They also carry The League of Grateful Sons on DVD or VHS. I highly recommend it especially for your husbands and sons to watch.
God bless your family!