Monday, July 02, 2012

Make Sure You Can Go Home




It's hard to watch the stories from Colorado--what once were houses full of life and love are nothing but ashes. What they are learning even through the tragedy, however, is that the most important things in life are not things, but people, memories and relationships.

Are you living in a way that you will always have a home? I'm not talking about a house, but a home.

Just about every week, I'm hearing another story from a guy who realizes too late he has the wrong priorities. It was his career, his sports league, his hobby or his ministry. Then he wonders why his kids don't want to hang with him when he's at "Sunnyside Retirement Center."

Or a Mom, who is all about the house, the decor, or the kids and their dance recitals. Then the kids grow up and she looks at the husband she has neglected and says, "Who are you?" She has no home. Only an empty house with a great color scheme and a silent partner.

Wayne Cordeiro writes:

"Learning the difference between a concern and a responsibility may save your ministry, your family, and your sanity...One day after years of ministry with a wonderful congregation, I will say my good-byes, pack my bags and, with many tears, walk out of the church. But when I walk out of the church, there’s only one place I can walk into. Family. If you miss building that home base, you will have nowhere to go when your ministry days are over. You’ll arrive back on your doorstep with your boxes of books and notes, and you’ll have nothing to walk into – except shards of yesterday’s mistake of putting your job, ministry, or career ahead of everything else." (Leading on Empty, 140)

The Christ-follower must lead like this: 
1. Jesus first
2. My spouse second
3. My kids third
4. Everything else (including me)

Do that so you can always have a home.



1 comment:

Allison said...

Excellent post