Priorities: What "things" get in your way?

I believe “Satan’s Convention” (from previous blog) rings true in the fact that Satan is doing all he can to keep us from God, while destroying families in the process. Our lives have become so busy that we have little time to nourish the relationships with the people we love the most, much less establish a closeness to God. Our busyness to outside activity quickly upsets the order of our priorities.

“Satan’s Convention” was written before the advent of the internet. How much easier yet more complicated our lives have become since this discovery. While supplying us with endless entertainment and vast knowledge, it has also become the root of much evil and devastation.

Computers have monopolized the lives of an alarming amount of people and can be characterized as a true addiction when overused. There are many who spend hours every evening “surfing” the Internet, jeopardizing quality family time. Video game obsession also threatens the health of a family. My Microsoft dictionary describes addiction as a “great interest in a particular thing to which a lot of time is devoted.” Hmmm...sounds like we should be addicted to our spouse!

Pornography sights are a dangerous evil that threaten marriages. Many men (and some women) become easily addicted and jeopardize the intimacy in their marriage relationships. Their view on physical intimacy becomes distorted and overstimulated by pictures and visions. They often lose the ability to perform sexually with their spouse when they don't have that outside stimulation.

I’m amazed how the world tries to justify pornography. I have seen talk shows discussing what the world believes to be the benefits of pornography. Some marriage counselors recommend it to spruce up a dysfunctional sex life. It's portrayed on television and the movies as a normal part of life.

Statistics are now appearing of how damaging pornography can be, responsible for breaking up many marriages. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can continue this activity without devastation to your relationship. Seek help.

Many men spend too much time at their jobs, mistakenly thinking it is a necessity for success. They’re praised while they are growing up for overachieving and then don’t know how to find the balance once they have a family. Women are also getting caught in the competitive drive at work that lures them away from their families. No one on their death bed has ever said, “I wish I had spent more time at the office.”

Church, children, and parents can all get in the way of our relationship with our spouse if not carefully monitored. We have to consciously stay aware of keeping our priorities in order. We need to treasure the time we share with our spouse and make it the highlight of our day if we desire a joyful marriage.

While our spouse should be our second priority, next to God, our children then immediate family should fall next in line. Jobs, church, and outside activities should always be a lesser priority than our family.

What "things" get in the way of your relationship with your spouse and family? Kudos to you if you can't think of anything!

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