4 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.[a] 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Deuteronomy 6:4-7 NLT
Mission Statements — Most businesses have them, ministries have them, and so do several other organizations. They guide the organizations in pursuit of the main goal of what and why they do what they do.
As a matter of fact, according to Dictionary.com, here is what the official definition of mission statement is; an official document that sets out the goals, purpose, and work of an organization.
Why is it that we have mission statements for our work and ministry life, but don’t necessarily have them for our families or our parenting?
I’m not sure when this idea actually hit me but it was many years ago when my boys were little (they aren’t so little any longer). I remember talking with my husband and dreaming about what kind of men they would be when they grew up. That simple little conversation sparked something in me that wanted to be more proactive in my approach as a mom.
I wasn’t going to sit by and just let things happen (yes, yes, I have control issues, but this time it actually helped) to our boys as they grew up. I was going to be specific and intentional in my approach as their mom. I didn’t necessarily have a laid out plan for what this was going to look like in the long haul, but what I did do was to create a MOM Mission Statement.
I know, I know, it might sound a little corny, but I’ve been in ministry for almost fifteen years and have always had a mission statement in my professional and personal ministry, so it seemed a natural fit for me to craft up a mom mission statement. This would be the guiding factor in what would become of the many decisions for my boys for many years to come. It’s not a perfect formula, but it has worked for me and I’m hoping that by sharing this idea, that maybe it will work for you too.
So, what was this magical formula for my boys, well, for me, it was simply this;
“I want to raise godly men that know and fear the Lord, that will seek Him first in all that they do, that will lead their families with strength, honor and integrity and that will serve Him with all their heart and soul in whatever He has planned for them to do.”
See, nothing out of the ordinary, but by writing it down it became my guiding light in all the decisions, prayers and ways that my husband and I would parent them. Did we always hit the mark…um, no, but thankfully this framework has helped me, as their mom, to narrow down to the core the principles of what I’m do teach them, as their mom, before they leave my house.
We are their mom’s…forever, but the reality is that we have a limited amount of time to teach and train them all they need to know before they head off into the world on their own. Why not be proactive about and decide right now what it is that God wants you to pour into them so that they can be all God created them to be.
It’s a decision that has served our family well over the years. Our boys are nineteen and seventeen now and no, they are not perfect, but they are good, godly young men. They serve, they give and they are passionately pursuing what God has planned for them–and as their mom, there’s nothing that makes me more happy than that.
What about you…
Have you ever thought about making a MOM Mission Statement?
What things would you add in your mission statement that are specific to your child(ren)?
I can’t wait to hear what ideas this sparks! I’m praying for you as you seek to see if this is something that might work for your family too.
Seeking JOY on the Journey,
Melissa Mashburn
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