Developing a mission statement for your life, for your family, and for your home can be a powerful tool to help give you clarity and direction. It doesn't have to be a long or complicated process, with just a few minutes, you can put some real thought and intentionality behind why you do what you do every single day.

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The idea of a family mission statement doesn't come from the Bible necessarily. There is no spot that talks about writing down a mission statement for your family or your life, but God does give us some pretty clear ideas about being intentional with our time and our lives.

"And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." - Duet 9:6-9

This kind of intentionality, this idea of teaching our kids, and thus, talking about and living out the Gospel every single day, doesn't happen by accident. It takes intentional thought and planning to focus on Christ within our homes.

Especially in our modern world where there is so much competing for our time and attention, there's never been a time where it's more urgent and important to make sure we have our goals and a mission statement for our lives and family clear and intentional.

So what is a family mission statement? 

“A family mission statement is a combined, unified expression from all family members of what your family is all about — what it is you really want to do and be — and the principles you choose to govern your family life.” - Stephen Covey

Of course, as a Christian, our view on our life and family is shaped by Scripture. The Bible, and our focus on Christ, begins to guide in developing a family and personal mission statement.

Basically, a family mission statement can look however you want it to and I am going to share some examples below. But a mission statement is simply something that you and your husband have come together to pray about, think over, and search through Scripture to come up with. It's basically your motto or saying that spurs your family on towards living for Christ more. 

It can be a full written out statement, it can be a short phrase that reminds your family what they should focus on, or it can even be just a family Bible verse that everyone memorizes and meditates upon.

How it looks is up to you. But an amazing thing happens when you get intentional and practical with your family and life direction - it suddenly becomes so much easier to focus on the things of the Lord rather than on ourself or things of this world.

Developing a family mission statement is going to help you get ultra clear about your priorities for your family, and from that, you will be able to easily pick and choose what to put on your calendar because you can hold each commitment up to your mission statement and see if it fits.

How to develop a family mission statement

The first thing I decided to do was break down my life and our family into a few different overarching categories to make sure I didn't miss anything.

First thing to think about...

What Is Best for Your Family?

Your list - and thus your life - isn't going to look exactly like someone else's. Be honest with yourself and determine what is best for your family, not someone else's.