Finding a Vision

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”

-Proverbs 29:18

It’s hard to balance the requirements of life.

I want to be a disciplined Christian. I want to be an intentional husband. I want to be a present dad. I want to be a successful employee. I want to be a loyal friend.

I want, I want, I want—if you’re like me, the list goes on and on. There is so much that we want to be that it can be hard to see who we are.

One area I’ve tried to grow in recently is in finding a vision for my family. I’ve been asking myself: what does my family cherish? What are our goals? What are we doing to further God’s Kingdom?

I haven’t just been brainstorming those questions on my own. I’ve been reading a book called Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley, and I’d highly recommend the book to anyone who is asking those questions of his own family.

Earley discusses ways to incorporate a Kingdom vision in the small moments of home life. Whether it’s around the dinner table or during a bedtime routine, fathers need to take advantage of the small moments that they share with their children. Those moments are just as important to a family’s vision as the big, important moments that guide our lives.

If you have the time, I’d encourage you to sit down with a pen and paper and write down your family’s vision. Start by answering these questions:

1. When and how am I talking to my children about God?

2. If I died today, what would I want my children to remember or know about my faith?

3. What are three things our family can do this year to further God’s Kingdom? What about the next three years? The next five years? The next ten years?

I’ve found those questions helpful as I begin to formulate a vision for my family. I hope you find them helpful too.