“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33
We have reached the final week of our series for men and today we are going to address priorities in the family. What often happens is that men mess up their priorities in a couple of different places by combining things that should be kept separate.
- We take our wife and kids and call it “family.” Your wife and kids should be two separate categories, not one. You had a wife, if you did it right, before you had kids. Once your kids leave, you should still have a wife. If you put it all together as “family,” you work a lot and need “family” time, but you’re not investing in your marriage. Once the kids grow up, get driver’s licenses, and aren’t home all the time, your marriage breaks if the kids were the glue holding it together. Your marriage is your first priority after God and then your kids.
- We wrongly think our relationship with God and our service at church are the same thing. Your relationship with God is most important, then your ministry service begins with your wife and kids. If your ministry or your involvement at church is overtaking your care of your wife and kids, you have inverted priorities because church and God are two different things. You love and have a relationship with God and serve at church. The best way to do that is to start with serving your wife and kids and then also serving your church family as a family. Ministry starts at your house, then God’s house.
What are your priorities like? When your feet hit the ground, is your first priority prayer and meeting with the Lord, turning on your phone, or going to work? When you get home, do your wife or kids get your first and best energy? Do you have anything left for God and church? The church should function like an extended spiritual family where you and your wife and kids serve God together and make relationships with God’s people.
Architect your life according to your priorities. Everyone and everything in life is important but not equally important. If you make more money, what will it do to your relationship with God, your wife, and your kids? If you make money more important than those things, you’re making it your highest priority. You need to make money but, as Jesus says, you can’t serve God and money. (Matthew 6:24)
Come back tomorrow where we will discuss the Law of Pursuit in marriage.
How are you doing at prioritizing your God, wife, and kids?
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