These questions are not easily answered, but they must be answered if your family is to be strong. As I recall families I have seen in crisis over the years, a common thread seems to be emerging. These families often have no real sense of mission. I seldom counsel with a family that has decided on a purpose for themselves. It seems that families with no mission are more self-serving and introspective.
More time is spent on self and less time on service for others.
The mind that is thinking of service has less time to find fault with his or her own family and, consequently, gets more satisfaction from life. These are my own conclusions. I decided to do a little research to find out how far off base I am. As I leafed through the pages of Adventist Home by Ellen White, I became amazed at how much she has to say about the mission of the family. Maybe my conclusions are not so far off.