I have a friend who does not really understand all that much about politics or economics. A couple of years ago, she surprised me when she asked me where the government was getting all the money they were sending out. She knew enough to know that someone had to pay for those handouts.
I told her my children and grandchildren would be paying for it.
Who or what takes first place in your heart? What’s second? What’s third? Are you sure? I think many folks have a different order. It’s self, others, work, and then their children. God and spouse is somewhere after all of that. Think about it.
If God were first, we would not give our teens the choice between worship and a part time job. If our children were more important than the opinion of an atheist, we would not have debates over prayer and Bibles in schools. We’d just have them there.
If we cared more about our children than we care about others or ourselves, we wouldn’t have the deficit we have in this country. We have selfishly buried ourselves in debt, and our children and grandchildren will pay for it. They will suffer because of us.
Do we worship God? Or, do we worship the god of self? We want what we want when we want it at the expense of our children. Shame on us!
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6
How have we trained up this generation? We have taught them that we can have it all. We have taught them that work comes before worship, and – by the way – so do their sports events. It’s more important to work late and early and all weekend if needed. By our example, we’ve promoted our jobs to the level of idol.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Exodus 20:3
By example, we’ve taught our children that divorce is normal. Remarriage is normal. Blended families are normal.
We blink, and they are grown. They have learned from us what is important, or have they?
Did they learn to love God and put Him first? Did they learn that their marriages are more important then work, kids, and others? Did they learn that marriage is sacred? Did they learn that they are important to us? Or did they learn something else?
When you put God first, they learn God is first. When you put your spouse second, they learn to love a future mate. When you honor your marriage and love your spouse, they learn that marriage is sacred and between 2 people. When you put them before your job, they learn that they matter more than things. When your children really matter, they learn you love them. When you love them, you watch out for them and for their future. You put them first, instead of yourself and other people aside from your spouse.
LIFE APPLICATION
Today’s challenge is to ask yourself what your priorities are. Is it God, marriage, children, and then work – in that order? Or, have you demoted God, and elevated strangers above your children? Have you stood up for your children and for their future? Have you given it away?