Faith Filled Family Magazine December 2016 | Page 93
family. I wish I had spent more
time because of the greater opportunities for joy I could have
experienced. Others may wish
they spent more time, because
of the pain in their families their
absence has created. If in their
un-remedied pain, their children
start families of their own, the
next generation may suffer.
purpose here.
However, if one is torn between
church activities and work, pray
for discernment. Families must
pay for housing, food, health insurance, education and so much
more. When these basics cannot be supplied, families suffer.
“There is abundant evidence
that economic stress increases
So while a job is critical to the the odds of divorce.”3 Reducing
survival of the family, family pre- family stress by acquiring adecedes job and career in the hi- quate resources should take prierarchy of responsibility. Very of- ority over involvement in church
ten we sacrifice family for career activities. So, church activities
not out of necessity but because take fourth place in the order of
we want to establish a certain priorities.
lifestyle. We want two fancy
cars in the family, an expensive God, family (spouse first, chilhouse with the latest appliances. dren second), work and church
Sometimes we just want status should be the order of priorities
and, usually, jobs with the great- in our lives. When we set our priest status cost us the most in orities in proper order, we end up
time--time that could have been
better spent with family. For this
reason, after establishing a relationship with God, then comes
taking care of family, spouse first
and children second, the job is
third on the list of priorities.
Priority Number 4
Within the community is also the
church. Why is this priority number four? We should never forsake gathering with other believers (Hebrews 10:25); however,
providing for family takes priority over church activities. Why
should the family suffer because
you had to run a church meeting
or sing in the choir? Sometimes
delegation is wiser. Yes, we
must set aside time to worship
our Creator. God rested on the
seventh day, so we must also.
We need time to consecrate ourselves and remember our real
also discarding those “weights
which so easily beset us” (Hebrews 12:1 KJV). We free ourselves of the procrastination,
frustration and stress which misplaced priorities create, and we
enjoy a life of harmony, peace
and balance.
1 Charles Hummel, Freedom
from Tyranny of the Urgent (Ilinois: InterVarsity Press), 1997.
2 W. A. Elwell, & B.J. Beitzel,
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible
(p. 2044), (Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker Book House), 1988.
3 Philip N. Cohen, “Recession and Divorce in the United
States, 2008-2011,” Population
Research and Policy Review,
2014 (33:615).