So We Work…
“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” ~ Timothy 5:8
In the context of this verse, we learn that not providing for the physical needs of our family makes us “worse than an unbeliever” and shows that we have “denied the faith.”
So we work.
Most of us Christian men, especially those of the hardy Dutch Reformed variety, work real hard to provide.
A few years ago, I worked hard to get out of debt and to provide for my family, in fact I worked 2 or 3 jobs, while my wife also worked a job and had a side business. But I neglected my family while I was doing it, even though I was doing it for them…
Here is a thought.
What does it say when we as men fail to provide for the spiritual needs of our family? Well that makes us “worse than an unbeliever” and shows that we have “denied the faith.”
Find the balance.
We must provide for the financial and physical needs of our families, yes, but we mustn’t work so much that we neglect to provide for our families spiritual needs. A man belongs at work, plowing the fields, fixing broken things, making a living, but that is not all…
When he is home, he belongs at the bedside of his children, leading them in devotion and prayer.
He belongs in the Bible, digging for gems of wisdom to give his wife and kids.
He belongs up front on the path leading his family to the cross of Jesus Christ.
He belongs on his knees everyday, alone with God seeking God’s will, interceding in prayer for his wife and children.
Guys, are we providing for family’s needs? Not just physically, but spiritually as well? May it never be said of us that, “he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
SDG
