A marriage mission statement was in order. We were new Christians, already launched into parenting teens while navigating what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus. Our simple statement became our compass during those pivotal years.
Why we Needed a Marriage Mission Statement
Life can be hard, stuff happens when you least expect it. That was true for all of us in 2020. We can’t always be prepared for what’s around the next corner, but when we intentionally chose to be on mission together, navigating the bumps and potholes becomes manageable because our perspective isn’t totally on the problems.
Problems still occur, struggles still get us down, life doesn’t become perfect. What changes is our perspective – we see the problems as an opportunity to advance the mission.
Years ago we chose the Bible verse below as our mission. At that time our kids -Jason and Robin-were 14 and 9 years old. We were new Christians. We needed God’s guidance in navigating the teen years as we took an about-face in basically every aspect of our lives. Like true north on a compass we needed a simple reminder of our goal in launching our kids.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth.
3 John 4 NIV
The verse was stenciled on a wall in our house as a reminder for us. It was part of the fabric of our home and our family.
How our Mission Kept us on Course
I’d like to say we went through a detailed plan to choose a mission statement. But that wouldn’t be true. We went to Scripture as a source of knowledge, and this verse just seemed to sum up what we wished for our kids. We were all new to learning how the Bible could guide our ordinary lives. Bruce and I were trying to learn what it meant to “walk in truth.” We felt if we could just get this right, all the other stuff would fall into place.
Here’s a great post on how to write a Marriage Mission Statement:
Years later the mission still guided us but our children expanded to include our daughter-in-law Heather, son-in-law CJ, and our two grandsons, Kaleb and Sam. But we also considered the couples we mentored and the mentor couples we lead to be ‘children’ in a sense.
This mission guided us through some challenging years. We were never perfect parents, in fact, there are No Perfect Parents, as Dave and Ann Wilson’s new book testifies. We are so grateful they wrote this book, since their son married our daughter! LOL
Our marriage mission was a guide for us when we weren’t sure which way to go. It pointed out our path to leaving a legacy for those following us. It helped us to stop sweating the small stuff. When we lost our way it helped us get back on track.
Our mission provided us great purpose, comfort and joy. In the last few years, after Bruce’s retirement, we rewrote our mission for our “second act.” Next week we will post about what that process looked like.
What keeps you on course as you navigate life together? We’d love to hear your perspective. Comment below and share.