We are created to work. And our daily grind is part of how we faithfully serve God and others. At the same time, we must not assume that our work for is the same as a life with.
Certainly, our diligent work for others is to be honored and respected.
We make many personal sacrifices to bring life and goodness into the world. And it’s only natural to want our efforts acknowledged and affirmed.
Without taking anything away from how much we do, working for others is not the same as enjoying life with them.
We can see this play out in both our relationship with God and our families.
Perhaps we volunteer every Sunday at church, support missionaries across the globe, and regularly speak up in support of Christian principles throughout culture – all good things to be sure.
But, by themselves, they do not speak to an intimate life with God – a life in which we enjoy the pleasure of his presence and bask in his daily delight.
All too often we believe doing more for God is how we grow spiritually rather than learning how to live life with him.
And the same is true on the home front.
When our wife and kids complain we often feel the need to work harder, whether this is earning more money, doing more around the house, or buying their favorite gifts.
Again, these are not bad things, but they’re not the same as an intimate relationship with our family.
Without question, there are many times we simply need to do more. But often the heart of relational complaints is the deep desire for life with.
Our wholehearted presence with our family runs on a different currency than the many things we do for them.
Both are important. But they’re not the same.
Continue to work hard for God and others. But learn also to enjoy life with them.
Photo by Mikael Stenberg on Unsplash
