Thursday 4 July 2013

The Mission-Minded Family











In an age where the world is in a chaotic state, a time when wars and disasters are on every side, when families live in fear, and hope for the better grows vague, at this time when our shrines of self-sufficiency come crumbling down “…I [hear] the voice of the Lord, saying, whom shall I send, and who will go for us?...”

Can you vividly remember those early years in the classroom when teachers would ask us what we wanted to be when we grew up? Certainly, from that point on the expectation was set, that of making a ‘success’ of life. From the world around us, we learnt that in order to be successful, we needed to attain wealth or fame, and upon this and many other ideas our young minds imbibed.

The rat race began - - in pursuit of happiness (wealth) and it only later dawns in most minds that success does not constitute material wealth alone, for even Solomon in all his wealth and wisdom could not but utter that “all is vanity.” Success is having the will to surrender your future plans to the hands of the One who knows the end from the beginning.

Mission-minded families are the answer to societal ills. A mission-minded family is one that realizes that there is life beyond the house, work and play, one that is focused on serving God and humanity. A family unit that has a passion for the lost, widowed, orphaned and homeless is a great model, a home where both parents and children work together to make God known by precept and example.

Mission-minded parents encourage and bring up their children to use their vigour of youth, talent, and courage to serve. Indeed our families may be of worth to society, for “even so have I also sent them into the world" says the Lord. The call has been made, the God of Heaven and Earth has heard the cries of His people; not that He has been deaf, He sees the sufferings of humanity, not that He has been blind, but that we had strayed from the Almighty, from our purpose.


The Saviour is even now asking, who will be willing to represent my love on earth? Who will be an instrument of hope and mercy on earth? “Then said I, Here am I; send me.”

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