In my last post I talked about hearing God’s voice and living by the Word of the Lord. In brief, it is hearing God’s voice in the every day and living it out – obeying God. As we seek to hear from God, one of the things He may give us is a specific vision or calling. One person may be given a vision to build an orphanage in Kenya. Another may be given a vision to work in a retirement home and share the gospel. Yet another may be given the vision to begin a bible study discipling moms. Others may be called to be salt and light in a law firm, a grocery, or a bookstore.
Tara and I, when we prayed together for a mission statement, heard from the Lord that we were to be mobilizers, people who bring others into missions and ministry, that we were to minister to families, that we were to lead in reconciliation, and that we were to fight injustice. Those were specific areas that God wanted us to minister in.
All too often, people take a word from the Lord like this and let it be the beginning and the end. They’ve “heard from God” and nothing can get in the way of fulfilling that ministry. Nothing getting in the way even includes their children. You’ve met some of these children in your lifetime: The pastor’s kid who doesn’t want anything to do with a God who stole his mother or father or the missionary’s kid who decided that any God who sent him away from his parents to a boarding school surely didn’t love him very much. They are often angry rebels who run from God.
I don’t know how this happens. We may have a genuine word from the Lord toward a particular ministry and vision, but we also have a clear word from the Lord on parenting. God tells us that our children are a gift and a blessing from Him. Psalm 127:3-5. God tells us four times in Deuteronomy to teach our children His ways. Deuteronomy 4:14-24, 6:4-7, 11:2, 19-22, 30:19. God tells us that he desires godly marriages so that children will grow up loving Him. Malachi 2:13-16. God tells us to bring up our children in his training and admonition. Ephesians 6:4. God’s definite word to parents is that children are our responsibility to discipline, disciple, train, teach, and raise.
So, how do we handle all of this?
Do we become parents and drop all ministries? Do we forget prior words from God?
Do we forget parenting and just do what God has called us to do otherwise?
Obviously the answer to all of those questions is no. So, what do we do?
I think we must discover ways to include our entire family in our ministry and calling. God didn’t make a mistake when he brought you and your spouse together in marriage. Neither did He err when He blessed you with a child or children. He knew exactly what He was doing. And He ordained all of the days for each member of your family from the very beginning. Psalm 139. He also planned good works for each of you to do. Ephesians 2:10. To believe anything less, whether by action or thought, is to say to God, “You screwed up.” God called each of you to His purpose and plan and brought you together as a family to fulfill that purpose more completely by working at it together. When you don’t do that, your ability to fulfill your calling diminishes. If you have a family, you are called to ministry as a family.
This may sound horribly difficult to those who simply go to work in a job that doesn’t seem very ministry related. However, as the family pulls together in prayer, seeking God’s heart for the everyday, then God will speak ways for you to minister wherever you are. It may be through a baseball league, at church, through taking food to families you work with who are in need, going on short term mission trips, working with a local non-profit, or more. It also may be that God will begin to speak to you that you are in a place where you are separating your family and it is time for a change to something that will integrate all the family into God’s purpose for your family. Just remember that God’s words will not contradict – and if what you think you are called to prevents you from raising your children in a godly fashion, then something is awry.