Home Missions
Ephesians 5:18-6:3, Colossians 3:12-25, 1 Timothy 5:8
Deborah and I just returned from a family vacation in Nag’s Head, North Carolina (a gift from a MCM supporter). The house was full with 3 generations. Emily, Jody, Silas, Hattie, Luke, Holly, Stephen, Elijah, Joy, Deborah and me. What a blessing from God to have the opportunity to spend an uninterrupted week with my wife, children and grandchildren. I was reminded that a major priority in life is our family. In our demanding world we often neglect our primary mission field – the home. God’s Word places the family as the number one priority for each of us, and we need to protect it as such.
Your Family is your ministry. It is within the family that we can experience maximum companionship. They need to know that you love them and NOTHING takes the place of spending time with them. Don’t try to separate quality versus quantity. Make the amount of time that you have with family the best of your time and effort that you have to give. (Psalm 90:12) Realize that the time you spend with your children while they are small is like putting money in the bank, because when they are teens you may need to make withdrawals. If you have put nothing in you will get nothing out in the time of need. Take this thought a bit further down the road and realize that when you are old and grayer you may make huge withdrawals as you need your children and family to care for you. The purpose of our family is to reflect God to a world that doesn’t know Him. We accomplish this purpose when we begin at home.
Here are some steps to take so that your home mission will be your most productive mission endeavor:
- Begin to get your own life in line with God’s design. Plan to meet with God each day, making a list of changes in your priorities.
- Pray for wisdom. (James 1:5) Examine your marriage, relationships with your children, parents and in-laws.
- Acknowledge your own failure to lead by example. Examine yourself closely and ask for forgiveness from your family for your wrong priorities and attitudes.
- Then begin to lead by example. (Take the initiative to have family devotions, be the example of giving and receiving forgiveness, memorize scripture as a family, make a family prayer list and put it on the fridge)
- Make time with your family a priority. Find creative ways to spend time together. (Family vacation, a picnic in the back yard, bike riding, walks, singing together, games, mealtime, etc.)
- Put family members first. Express loyalty and dedication to your spouse, children, and parents. This builds security and unity.
- Be quick to forgive one another. Example: (Are there any hurt feeling where forgiveness has to be offered?)
- Recognize that each family member is different yet is valuable in the way God has created them. (Do you affirm their value and build upon their strengths? Or focus on their weaknesses and tearing them down?)
- Be prepared for crisis, trials and difficulties. Decide now that you will pull together rather than isolate and fight.
- Maybe your family has grown apart either because of distance, or estrangement. You can still have a ministry to them by praying for them. Consider writing a note to them or making a call.
- Perhaps you look back and feel defeated because of the many failures, heartbreaks, separations and wrongs done concerning your family situation. Joel 2:25 Promises us that the Lord will restore to you the years the locusts have eaten. Trust God to do the impossible!
Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ – the Message – have run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives – words, actions, whatever-be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father, every step of the way. Colossians 3:12-17 MSG
Won’t you join me in committing to making Home Missions apriority?
The blessings will last for generations.
