In our prior lessons we have noted that the problem of being "busy here and there" (I Kings 20:40) often leads to neglect or outright disobedience to spiritual duties imposed by God. Today let's focus our attention on the question:

Are you so "busy here and there" that you are neglecting your family?
Does this description sound like many families in our American society?

• Husband and wife both work outside the home full-time.
• Dad works long hours and isn't home much of the day. He rarely spends quality time with his family. He uses most of his free-time relaxing in front of the TV, working on some project around the house, or away from home playing golf or fishing, etc.
• Mom works a lot of hours too, so the kids spend much time at daycare or by themselves. When she does get home she's so tired that it's nearly impossible to get all the housework done and still spend much time with the kids. As a result, many kids end up raising themselves with the help of TV or other bad influences.

Am I painting an unrealistic picture here? I don't think so.

One of the major problems in the United States today is the breakdown of the family. I believe there are several contributing factors:

• Divorce. Divorce itself is caused by many factors, but one of them is that many husbands and wives aren't spending quality time together; they're too busy doing other things.
• Disrespect and lack of discipline. Children are much more disrespectful to authority figures today than they were 50 years ago. Why is that? Because many of them aren't disciplined effectively or consistently by their parents. And why is that? Because many parents aren't around their children very much because they're too busy doing other things.

There is much more that could be said on this subject, but you get the idea. Let's make sure that we're not neglecting our families! Husbands, love your wives by caring for them and spending time with them. You've got to make time if you have a busy schedule. Don't let the "urgent" crowd out the "important" in your life! Wives, be a faithful companion to your husbands and encourage them. Parents, love your children by training them up in God's ways. Discipline them and provide a proper structure to their lives. Please, please realize that children don't need lots of money and things to grow up happy--they need you! They need you to be there for them and to bring them up with godly morals and values! That is so much more important than having a second or third income that would enable you to buy certain luxuries for your family.

If we would take Ephesians 5:22 -6:4 to heart, we wouldn't neglect our families. We would eliminate some things from our lives that are making us so busy, and we would spend more time with our spouses and children. They should be very important to us! Let us close by quoting that section of Scripture:

"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother,' which is the first commandment with promise: 'that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.' And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord."