‘She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left.’ Proverbs 3:16(NLT)
‘“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. ‘ Joshua 24:14(NLT)
‘“And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.’ Luke 12:29-31(NLT)
‘“You must not have any other god but me.’ Exodus 20:3(NLT)
Devotional Content:
If someone asked me what the most important things are in my life, I would give the “right” answer: God, marriage, family, work—in that order. Yet, if you looked at my calendar where I enter everything that I have to do each week, it might tell a different story. I know that if I do not purposely set aside time to spend with Nancy each day, our marriage suffers. I need time with her—both quality time and quantity time. It keeps us connected.
What story would your calendar tell? If you and your spouse sat down together and looked at your calendars, what would you see? How do you spend your time? What do your calendars say about your values and your priorities? Do you purposefully set aside time for your marriage?
The contents of your calendar are a dead giveaway as to what’s really important in your life.
Today’s Challenge: Write out your priorities in order of importance to you.
Going Deeper:
1. What does your calendar say about your priorities?
2. Define both quality of time and quantity of time. Which is most important to you? Do you need a balance of both?
3. How much time do you need to set aside for your spouse each day?
4. Circle any of the following that get in the way of time with your spouse. How can you better balance your time?
- Children
- Friends
- Work
- Hobbies
- TV
- Social Media
5. Did you notice in question 4 that none of the things that were listed were bad things? The key is balance. What is your first step in getting balance into your life?
from The Foundation