Lesson

8/19/07
Julie led 35 of us as she concluded The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families. Habit #7, Sharpen the Saw, directs us how to keep our family effective. It’s not enough to achieve success and then let entropy engulf our hard work. We must continually strive on staying a successful family. We shared activities we do together as families to constantly replenish what everyday life can drain out of us. Some included: eating together (A 1950’s study concluded that 90% of families ate dinner together vs. 30% in the 1990s), worshipping together, vacationing, doing chores together, keeping family traditions alive, and sharing activities such as games or movies.

There are four levels of success to staying a successful, effective family. The bottom level (where you don’t want to find yourself) is survival mode. These families are just getting by meeting their basic needs. Most of their lives are consumed by work. This may be due to financial hardship or caused by over-committing themselves.

The next level is stability. In this level, the basic needs of the family are met, but the family still finds itself in the problem-solving mode. These families may be restrained because of chaos—job loss, natural disaster, laziness, boredom, or escapism.

In the third tier, the family reaches success! This is a cohesive group who worships and prays together. This family plans ahead and is well-organized. Older parents have raised independent, responsible, self-sufficient young adults! Younger parents are raising excited, confident, and inventive children!

The highest level, significance, is what most of us ultimately long to achieve. This is when the family is in the creative mode. Family members look around and want to improve the world around them. They participate in missions together and help those who are less fortunate. This family is empathetic towards others. Parents at this level expose their children to the outside world and to people who are different from themselves.

Thanks, Julie, for devoting your time helping us to be more successful families. As parents, we must be great leaders and influencers to our children. Fortunately, we have the ultimate role model that will lead us to perfection if we only take the time to devote to Him—Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!

Hope to see all of you next week when we discuss Hebrews!


Love~
Beth