At a recent study presentation, a young dad asked, “What is the best way for me to effectively balance work and family?” Great question! He was anticipating a problem as he struggled to prioritize right things in the midst of busy-ness. And it gave me an opportunity to discuss the myth of ‘life balance’.
The short answer is that life is not about balance, but about right priorities. Right priorities start with a personal, passionate relationship with Jesus the Christ. Then we are to live that relationship in marriage and reflect it in family. When work or other activities impede these priorities, it is not because dad failed to balance work and family. Rather it is due to the fact that wrong stuff got prioritized.
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, inflicting the punishment of the fathers on the children, to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands.” – Exodus 20:2-6. These are the first two commands etched in stone thus they are priorities straight from our Father. Jesus confirmed it when He stated, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” – Matthew 22:37-38. The focus is on the Father through a relationship with His Son Jesus the Christ. And by design, the closest thing to our relationship with Christ in the flesh is our relationship in marriage and family. Satan likes to stir up the thought of life balance because he still dreams of being an equal with Jesus. That is not happening but man grants him higher status than he deserves by entertaining his distractions. When satan distracts by introducing wrong priorities, his intent is to distract man from right priorities. When marriages and families get lost in the ‘balance’, he notches up a victory. Dads are charged to rebuke distractions and keep the focus on right priorities.
Dads are to work and the work may be demanding. But dad and mom need to stay alert to the job becoming a little ‘g’ god or the dollar becoming an idol. Flags can include extensive travel; not eating dinner together regularly as a family; kissing kids goodbye when they are asleep and kissing them goodnight when they are asleep several times a week; and, when making kids’ events becomes the exception instead of the norm. Rebuke distractions stirred up by satan and focus on the right priorities.
Prayer guide: Thank You Lord for Your word and the clear priorities You provide for life. I confess I have allowed distractions orchestrated by satan for ‘life balance’ to take me down a path of wrong priorities. Forgive me. Grant me strength to rebuke distractions that turn my eyes from right priorities. I praise You for the marriage and family You have blessed me with. I accept responsibility to keep my eyes on You and my focus on right priorities for the sake of the next generation. That is the dad You call me to be, and that’s the dad my kids need to see. Amen.
A faithful father rebukes distractions and focuses on right priorities.
