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).