Last week I started this series discussing having a spiritual vision for your family. Today, let’s consider an intellectual vision as part of the process of inventing the future of our families.
The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. Proverbs 18:15
Prudent gives the idea of someone who is discerning, who considers things, who is careful intellectually. In other words, someone who is thoughtful. Thoughtful people acquire – or find – knowledge. Amazing concept right? A wise person seeks – begs for, longs for – knowledge.
Interestingly, this verse does not say that only school children ages 3 to 14 do this. It does not say that this only applies to a new worker during the first few weeks on the job. God gives no age limit or categories here. This is for everyone of every age and station of life. A biblical picture of lifelong learning.
An intentional family will have an intellectual vision for each person of the family and the family as a whole.
We know that knowledge begins with the fear of the Lord (Prov 1:7). So start with yourself. Grow in your knowledge of the Lord. Feed yourself.
There are so many ways to learn today that we have no excuse! So many things available at our finger tips.
Reading is the greatest intellectual advantage in the world. If you are a reader, you can teach yourself anything, you can acquire knowledge about any subject.
Supplementary to that are podcasts, videos, sermons, Bible study books, devotional books, etc, etc.
Learning opens opportunities to excel in your life. Learning opens doors and enable you to serve other people.
Parents – turn off the TV. Turn off the tablet. Teach your children to seek knowledge. Teach them to be hungry to know the Lord, and to explore the world that He has given us to explore.
A family inventing the future is made up of wise people, prudent people, who have a vision to pursue knowledge and benefit from it.
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it”
– Alan Kay
Over the next few weeks, I plan to post a series of blogs centered around 5 key areas for a family vision. Today, we focus on the most important: a spiritual vision.
Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. Luke 9:23
Jesus said that if you are following Him, that it means something. It means you will take up your cross – that you will sacrifice and suffer with Him, for Him. Daily! This is what it means to be an active follower of Christ.
The spiritual life of your family is not a joke. It cannot be a game. It cannot be something else on your calendar.
You must have a spiritual vision for your family members:
A vision for their salvation A vision for their service A vision for their surrender
Those are really three areas of spiritual growth. You get saved, you begin to serve, and you fully surrender. It’s a process we can see in the Bible, and in our own lives.
Parents – your children need to see the reality of your faith.
They need to know your faith in Christ is real.They will not see that if you never come to church. They will not see that if you never read your Bible or pray. Your spouse needs to see that your relationship with the Lord has a real impact on your decisions, on your actions, on your life.
Pray for your spouse, your children, your extended family and their spiritual growth.
Have a vision for every member to be an active follower of Christ.
Studies from the Carnegie Institute of Technology revealed that 15% of success in a career is the skill/expertise/technical knowledge applied, while 85% is due to skill in relationships – personality and the ability to relate to and lead other people. [1]
This finding can definitely be applied to all areas of our work, including and especially ministry.
We all want to improve. We all want to develop our technical skills. Many times, we focus on improving our game in areas like preaching, teaching, writing, facebook live editing (as of 1st quarter 2020!), etc. We pursue degrees. We join cohorts. We attend live webinars. Most of them related to expertise in our area.
But what about our people skills?
I’m not a huge fan of “studies” and “models”, but if Carnegie is even half right about the above percentages, it would seem that we should focus more attention on developing the skills of relating to others.
Leadership is influence. Influence comes from relationships.
Build your relationships, build your influence, build your leadership. That’s the process.
“Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” Colossians 4:17
“Take heed” means to consider, to think about, to look out for.
Literally, it means “to see” your ministry.
I must take regular, intentional time to think about, pray about, plan, and prepare my ministry – the ministry the Lord Jesus has assigned to me – or I may be in danger of missing the mark.
Intentional, thoughtful service is a hallmark of a mature believer.
When do you take time to think deeply and pray earnestly about your ministry?
People follow leaders that they can trust and respect.
Trust is based on integrity and respect is based on vision.
A leader with no integrity will soon have no followers. Even more so a leader with no vision.
Jesus is the greatest leader Who ever lived, and this is what Isaiah said about Him:
In mercy the throne will be established; And One will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, Judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness.
Isaiah 16:5
Mercy. Truth. Justice. Righteousness.
That is a Leader I am grateful to be following for all eternity!
