How to lead your family? The questions can be taken many ways, but it reminds me of something I watched recently. My wife and I recently watched the movie “Apollo 13”. That is the “Houston, we have a problem” mission designed to put a man on the moon. The actual story is based on real events that happened, although I am sure the movie exaggerated some details. In a nutshell, something went wrong on the mission. The people on board were likely to die even if it had gone as planned. To me, the fact that they lived to tell the tale means God wasn’t done yet. I think He had other plans.

“Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.” – Proverbs 29:18

Putting a Man on the Moon

Technology at that time was not what it is today. People had done the math; everything was theoretically possible, although no one had tried it. The capability to handle the glitches was all on the fly. In the movie, a team of scientists scrambled to figure out how to guide a rocket back home. I looked upon one site that said the technology available to them was roughly the equivalent of a microwave oven today. The total power at their disposal was 20 amps. My computer is plugged into a 30-amp wall socket.

What unfolded in the movie was the cool part. Everyone had a single mission. The general population of the entire country was watching.

A couple of primary drivers fueled our countries journey into space: we wanted to beat Russia, and our President at that time challenged us. He called on the country to do something that had never been done – put a man on the moon. You can argue about why we needed to do this.

We need that again. Our country has devolved into groups of thought, nearly incapable of action. I am talking about how we seem so caught up in issues and have become paralyzed in choosing sides on those issues. We are the strongest country, but we have arrived at a spot where people refuse to unite. We can’t decide much with unity let alone the best strategy on how to lead your family.

Having Unity of Purpose

If the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority leader could somehow gather the courage to stand on a stage together, we could be responding with unity, much like the Apollo mission. “We do not know how the fight against this virus is going to go, but we need to attack it together. Details to follow.” Something that simple.

Can you imagine? Our country has been challenged on two fronts to do something never done before, end racism, and react to a worldwide virus. But the leadership we lack on a governmental level is striking from all parties. While I cannot fix either situation, my only source of influence is this simple little devotional site. I guess I decided I should try to use it accordingly.

Sometimes, if a task’s size is too daunting, we don’t know where to start, so we do nothing. I probably need to lose 30 pounds, but I can’t see progress if I never lose the first one. Similarly, if changing the course of a country is too big, maybe we should start small, with our own families.

How to Lead Your Family

Does my family have a unity of purpose? That can be something as simple as saving money for the first time. Do my wife and I have the same priorities? Do we celebrate victories when we reach them? Do my children realize there are expectations and see a heart full of love and support for them? When we wake up in the morning, are we all headed in the same direction? These are things we consider when we ask ourselves the question… “How to lead your family”?

Each of us has our specific challenges, and literally, every one of them is an opportunity to be a steady spiritual head for our house. If I aim at Christ as my spiritual head and my family is heading in the same direction, my aim does not have to be perfect, just purposeful. If I am aiming at anything else, I have to remember I might hit a target capable of destruction, and they will follow right along with me.

Author: Rick Claiborn

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