Are you feeling the pressure? That diamond necklace gets the guy a big hug and kiss on the commercial. After all, “Every kiss begins with …” – you know.

Be it a diamond necklace or edible flowers, if receiving gifts is not your wife’s love language, it will be just another not-so-cheap fix for a romance that isn’t and a relationship that may be facing challenges. If receiving gifts is her primary love language, the necklace will not make up for months of neglect. That would be like the man washing every dish in the house on Valentine’s Day when he hasn’t washed a dish all year because his wife’s love language is acts of service. He won’t get a hug and kiss either.

Guilt reflects some of the devil’s best work. And marketing firms seem to use it well leading up to Valentine’s Day. “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience…” – Hebrews 10:22. Learn to love your wife as Christ loves the Church a little more each day and do not give guilt a foothold.

Tips for V Day:

1. Spend time in God’s word early – Ephesians 5 is a good chapter to have on your heart from the get-go;
2. Plan your day & evening in a way that compliments her primary love language;
3. If you do not have a copy of Gary Chapman’s The Five Love Languages, pray for grace and stay away from the jewelry stores.

As you show love for your wife in front of the kids on Valentine’s Day and every day, you will be a hero in your children’s eyes.

Click on comment to share your V Day experiences.

Dads routinely convey that balancing time between work, home and church, is the biggest challenge they face. My response is, “Priorities have nothing to do with balance.”

A professor once demonstrated prioritization of time to his class by putting a jar on his desk and filling it with rocks. He asked the students if the jar was full. They answered with a resounding, “Yes!” The professor then proceeded to fill the “full” jar with pebbles and again asked his class if the jar was full. The students answered with a confident, “Yes.” Then he poured sand in the “full” jar all the way to the rim and asked once again if the jar was full. The class answered, “We think so.” The professor then poured a cup of coffee in the jar with no spillage and made the statement, “If you put the important things on your schedule first, you will always have time for a cup of coffee with a friend.”

The same goes for life - If you set the right priorities, all else will fall in line. There is nothing in the Bible about balance.

Tips on the right priorities:

1. Love the Lord your God through a personal, passionate and growing relationship with Jesus the Christ;
2. Live that relationship in marriage and family;
3. Reflect that relationship in every situation, discussion and decision you face.

As you focus on the right priorities in life, you will be a hero in your children’s eyes.

Click on comment to share your experience with balance versus priorities.