Rebuilding Home: 13 Days in Nehemiahنموونە

How do you make a family mission statement?

In politics, business, and religion, commands tend to come from the top down. In Nehemiah 10, we witness an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and people’s response as they commit to living in a covenant relationship with God and one another. Their response is not top-down but instead inside-out. As their hearts and desires are changed through hearing God’s Word preached and repenting of their sin, God’s people publicly commit themselves and their families to living by godly principles.

In some ways, this chapter of Nehemiah is a bit like a family mission statement that numerous families agree to so that they would live united as God’s people on God’s mission. Once a mission statement is adopted, the decisions that follow can be made in light of the principles and priorities guiding life. Imagine a nation without founding legal documents enshrining its form of government, a business without a mission statement, or a sports league without a rulebook. Then, ask yourself if you and your family have a mission statement that guides your decision-making.

Those who signed the covenant include the leader Nehemiah and his assistant, along with the priests (like a pastor today) who are listed by their family names as they signed on behalf of their extended families (10:2-8), the Levites (like ministry staff and leaders) who helped the priests to teach and care for the people (10:9-13), followed by 44 prominent leadership families, along with everyone else who was faithfully serving God in this Old Testament Church in various ministry services (10:28-29). Essentially all of God’s people agreed to sign a covenant binding them to certain obligations not because they had to but because they wanted to out of love for God and one another.

To summarize the united family mission statement, it basically says:

1. We will obey the Scripture

2. We will lead our families

3. We will worship our God

4. We will give generously

5. We will make church a priority

6. We will only marry believers

7. We will conduct business ethically

The people were devoting their spiritual life, family, schedule, budget, and sexuality fully to God without reservation. Every aspect of life is affected when a true revival movement of God the Holy Spirit occurs. Because King Jesus is Lord over all, there is no such thing as a division between sacred and secular things. When His Lordship is lived out by His people, no aspect of life remains unchanged and unaffected. When true revival happens, vice and crime go down, economic prosperity goes up, mental health improves, social unrest wanes, and the Kingdom of God starts to show up on earth as it is in Heaven. The truth is that everyone lives in a culture, and there are ultimately only two sources from which culture is created. One, most people live hell up - pulling the culture of bitterness, vengeance, selfishness, pride, addiction, and brokenness into their lives. Two, some people live Kingdom down, inviting the Holy Spirit to bring Heaven to earth with the fruit of the Spirit manifest in the lives, families, and communities of culture. This is what we see happening in Nehemiah 10.

Since this was all very public, the husbands and fathers who signed the covenant were committing to being men of God. This allowed their wives and children to encourage them to live up to their promise and also welcomed the men to spur one another on to love and do good deeds. In this way, God’s people were giving up their selfishness so that they could live, work, and worship together like one big extended family made up of individual families. In doing so, they were demonstrating faith that God would provide for them in every way.

For generations, these families had professed a faith that they did not practice and often did not possess. They gave lip service to God but did not live a godly lifestyle. The Bible had been ignored, worship services had stopped, people were not giving to God, and they were marrying pagans and unbelievers, but now were going forward and not looking back. Today, believers face the same kind of temptation to become lethargic and lukewarm, forsaking the corporate worship of God for business and recreational opportunities, not giving generously to the cause of Jesus Christ, and living lives that are not much different than everyone who does not know God. The good news from Nehemiah’s report is that everything can change quickly and supernaturally if God’s people will repent of their sins and obey His Word as God graciously and generously pours out His blessing upon His People.

Previously, the people lived independently, and now they were striving toward unity. They did not prioritize God or church, and now they are. They did not think or plan in terms of generational legacy for their children and grandchildren, but that was all about to change. This chapter reports the result of repentance. People stop fighting with God and start following God. People stop arguing with God and start agreeing with God. People change their lives because God has changed their hearts, minds, and desires.

Question:

Does your family have a mission statement that guides your decision-making throughout life? If not, would you be willing to create one?