74 SET RIGHT PRIORITIES: GOD FIRST, MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
AND THEN THE REST

Too many spouses put work or even church ahead of their families and marriages. Their work or church activities actually rob valuable time and intimacy from the family.

First maintain your relationship with God through worship, Bible study, prayer, spiritual disciplines, giving, witnessing and serving the Lord. You can share much together spiritually as a couple. Pray, worship, serve God and read Scripture together.

Next make your marriage and family your first priority in life. True, you may spend many hours at work. But when you are together, give one another your full attention and devotion. You work to live; you don’t live to work. Give quality time to your spouse and your family.

As a wise mentor in ministry once asked me, “How is your mistress?” I was shocked and replied indignantly that I didn’t have a mistress. “Oh, I mean your work at church,” he replied. True enough, I was so enamored with my work that I treated my church like a mistress. Much had to change … and it did!

Try this: Make a weekly calendar together. Write down when you will spend time together. Look forward to your moments of sharing, praying and simply being together. Make your spouse the neighbor you love first!

And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Matt. 12:30–31