This may be hard for some to read but I have to speak what is on my mind from a Christian standpoint as I see it. I watch so many people who are using time in such a way that it is destroying families. I look at a mother and father both working 50-60 hours a week on average and farming their kids out to the lowest bidder and justifying it by saying well, this is the way it is supposed to be because everyone else is doing it too.
Is it really the right way? The big question is, is it really God’s way? So many people may disagree but I know there are some people that realize that there are so many forces coming at our families in this day and time that we need some balance when it comes to time with family.
Time with family is a passion of mine. Sometimes when I make points to people, I offend them without thinking first. This is an area I am working on. I do know that there will always be exceptions to every rule. I know there are people who spend quality hours a day with their families and work 60+ hours a week and there are people who work only 40 hours a week who spend no time with family.
So in this I am not talking about the exceptions. The exceptions represent less than 5% of the people from what I have seen.
Here is what I am talking about. Most of the population work 60+ hours a week not out of necessity but out of lifestyle. See for me, I would rather make $50,000 a year working 25-30 hours a week than making $100,000 a year working 50-60 hours a week. It just makes more sense to be there physically for the family unit.
Some may say but even years ago the guy always worked like that. Here is my point, back years ago the family was bigger and they chose to have mom stay at home in order to raise the kids so the guy had no choice but to work long hours plus you didn’t have the forces like TV, the internet, social media and cell phones back then that the enemy is using forcefully.
Also when someone worked 60 hours a week many years ago, that is what you worked but in this day and time if you work 60 hours a week, because of technology you can add another 15-20 hours a week to that as people are bringing their work home more. So if you say you work 60 hours a week, in reality you are probably working 75-80 depending on your type of job.
Here is question to ask, if you live in say a $200,000 dollar or more home, why can’t you drop it to say $100,000 home so that you can back away some hours from your job? There are always sacrifices that people can make for their families if they choose to.
It’s all about priority when it comes to time. People will find time for things they believe in. If you believe that families are under attack then you will find a way to be there! I have seen so many people willing to spend 20+ hours a week upping their careers but won’t spend 1-2 hours a week going to marriage classes to help their marriage, why is this?
People find the time for higher education no matter how much their families suffer but won’t find the time to better their marriages or families? The enemy has so many people fooled. I see a lot of people saying they are doing God’s work but yet they are destroying their families in the process.
If you think you are doing God’s work but yet never get time with your family then the enemy has brainwashed you! He loves it when people have no time. His assault on time is endless. We as a society are falling right into his hands. We are allowing time to be our enemy when time should be our asset. Remember, once you used your time, you can’t get it back!
Am I saying you can’t work long hours and have a strong family? I am not saying that BUT you have to ask yourself, is it really working for your family? You have to ask God to come into your heart to point this issue out so that you can make changes in your life if need be.
From texting, the internet to TV especially MTV and now to social media, we are allowing outside forces to control our families. If we are to win this battle we must make changes and yes sometimes that may even be sacrifices by dropping your lifestyle but it must be done if we are going to win this battle in front of us.
There are so many little things that take time from us that I have not even hit here but I think you get the point. You have to have great time management for your marriage and kids if you are going to hold everything together in these crazy times.
I hope and pray that as you read this, you will take this as a warning as we need men and women of God to stand up so that we can change the culture in the Christian community.
Be Inspired or Be Left Behind!
Chris Benton