Do You Put Work Before God and Your Family?

God has high ideals for each one of us and he is concerned how high priority we place our houses, families and relationships with him. Whoever is committed to work more and more and very least committed to be around God and their families such person is called being workaholic and such people are addicted to their work the same way as an alcoholic person is addicted to alcohol. One can not ignore work nor his family commitments. But it has to be balanced perfectly fairly and rightly. Before everything we need to have a right relationship and quite time with God and seek him first, and then God will work out everything for good when we rely on him and walk according to his ways rather than pursuing everything with our own selfish and foolish wisdom. In Psa 127:2 says "It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep. God gives us the gift of grace and blessing on our domestic lives if we've committed our way to Him"..

Pro 3:6 says "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight".

a) A Godly man and a husband: No man can be a good Christian unless he is a good father, a good husband and a good citizen and a good spiritual leader in his home .He first will have the proper relationship with God and then his family. He follows God, makes every effort to be at home, to lead, guide, teach and counsel his children. He loves his wife sacrificially like the Christ loved the church, he is kind, understanding, trustworthy, faithful, honest, truthful, committed, considerate and patient towards his wife. Eph. 5:25-28 says "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself".

1 Peter 3:7 says: "Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may

not be hindered."

Marriages that are built on God's terms will be happy and committed and the couples are able to live together "till death do they part fulfilling Gods purpose in their lives.

b) Families today: In Today's society more families have ignored Godly principles for their life and families. Many men have become selfish, weak and wimpy have engaged themselves to be too workaholic at the expense of their families. When they come home tired after working or during week ends they would either find the things to be busy themselves either on computer or some favorite TV shows or supporting their basketball, footfall, golf, or some other sports than raising their children with great Godly morals and values or spending time with their wife and kids. All these will distract the person to be away from God and family. As we all know that there are just -too many things available in the world to distract us but we need to remind ourselves that that being busy and being spiritual effectiveness do not go well together.

Many people have little time or no time to spend with their wife and children. As a result wife and children are left alone. For Many men in our society work is more important than family. In pursuing selfish pleasure, material things, money, work, career they are failing in fulfilling their spiritual responsibility and have ignored their responsibility of being a loving husband and Father of children. To be a loving husband and Father of children it takes many responsibilities, sacrifices in the family.

Matt. 6:33, says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added."

There are many things that can be done together and should be done together to bind tighter the unity of the family. God's plan for the training of children is in the two parents, the husband and wife. Family is complete with both present, both being a good example and both being role models for their children. Parenting is a team effort. Parents who live contradicting lives will destroy the stable life of their children. When parents fail to stay in God's plan for family and life they will not be in a position to lead their children in obtaining the godly goals in their life.

c)Consequences of not spending family time: As a result of neglecting their marriage and their family ,children are left to raise themselves , some of the parents have even dumped their responsibilities to grand parents, wives, day cares, schools , Sunday schools, churches etc which eventually has lead to dysfunctional families . And such families will look solution outside the bible for guidances and sources such as media, Godless society, ungodly friends and advisers for values and direction and becomes failure in all they do at the end.

American families and marriages are falling apart, divorce rate has increased tremendously, some family members have even fallen into the trap of alternative lifestyles ,they are living a stressful lives, strife and hurtings, health problems have increased which affects them physically,mentally,emotionally and spiritually as well, immorality such as perversions, fornication adultery , violence, promiscuity etc, have increased , many of them are addicted to smoking, tobacco, drug addictions etc to relieve their stress and the lost love and affection , criminal activities have become common , families are living daily in continual conflicts, family breakups, extreme feminism have become the substitution to traditional family with Godly values. Bible is full of family values and how God designed the family to function.

Their life instead of being filled with warmthness, closeness, family bond, love, they have replaced with work, career, making money, selfish talents, pleasures and richness. They have made their personal family life style as business lifestyles.

Many man and women often forget these verses from Gods word and they force themselves so hard to work above everything.1st Timothy 6:10 tells us that the love of money is the root of ALL evil. Workaholic pursues his career at the expense of his family. Arrogance, self-righteousness replaces the righteousness of God, Rom. 10:3.

Psa 127:1 says A Song of Ascents, of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain.

Proverbs 3:24 says : The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked,but he blesses the home of the righteous."

In (Genesis 2:1-2) God worked six days and rested on the seventh, shows that God expects us to take rest.

At the end often people will realize that there is no greater joy than to be around your family and childrens.