What Is Most Important?

Last week we were driving through a nicer subdivision and noticing all the enormous houses and spacious yards with expensive cars parked out front.  I began to imagine how many hours my wife and I would have to work to keep up payments on a house like that, let alone own it. I'm sure those who live there have very well-paying jobs; I don't begrudge them what God has blessed them with financially.

But leaving all that aside, most people spend a lot of time away from home working to afford the house, cars, TVs, clothes, and so on that are important to them.  But what is really important in life?  Enjoying labor and the food which is provided by it is good (Ecclesiastes 1:24; 3:22).  Enjoying your spouse and family is also good (Proverbs 19:14; Song of Solomon 8:7).  Most important is the condition of your soul (Matthew 16:26).

I don't want to come to the end of my life regretting that my children have wandered spiritually or my wife has been neglected because I failed to properly care for them.  Balancing responsibilities can be difficult, and we will not always choose rightly.  The choices of our children will someday go beyond our ability to direct.  Sometimes work will demand time away from home.  My point is that we ask ourselves whether our work is truly to provide for our needs or so we can serve other believers, or whether we work unnecessarily hard to accumulate stuff because our friends have it or we enjoy it or that's how we've always lived.  Do we neglect our families and fail to train our children in godly discipline to the extent we are able (Ephesians 6:4)?

When it comes to money and how we order our lives, King Lemuel gave wise counsel.  Pray to God that He gives you enough and no more (Proverbs 30:7-9).  That is my prayer for my own life, and I trust for yours.