A Christian must also limit time devoted to business affairs when family involvement suffers. Many Christians are trapped in this cycle of overcommitment to business or money pursuits.
Money is not always the prime motive for that overcommitment. Often it is ego, escape, or simply habit that drives a person to such excess. Many people overcommit out of pure habit, not ever questioning what they are doing, why they are earning money, or why God put them on this earth.
Psalm 127:2 says, “It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; for He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.”
It’s important to remember that God’s priorities for us are clear. The first priority in a Christian’s life is developing his personal relationship with Jesus Christ. You must understand who God is to be able to trust Him, to be able to ask Him for answers and to expect to get them. Understanding God comes from:
Reading His Word. When situations arise, decisions can be made according to biblical principles.
Praying. Prayer is communication with God. How else can you discern God’s perfect will for your life?
Sharing your relationship with Christ with others. That does not mean a “forced” witness, either.
The second priority of a Christian’s commitment is to his family, including teaching them from God’s Word.
Such training requires a commitment to the family unit—and that means a specific time commitment, too. Christ deserves the best part of our day. If you study best in the morning, get up early and give time to the Lord. Sacrifice if necessary. If you find that your family time can take place best between eight and nine in the evening, commit that time to God. Turn off the television, have the children do their homework early, and begin to study the Bible together. It is important for the whole family to understand God and pray together. Pray for others in need, too. And have your children become aware that Christians, as intercessors, can pray for others and expect God to answer.