Work Time Versus Family Time

When I was growing up, my Dad was at work by 8 and was nearly always home shortly after 5. When he got home, he generally relaxed, often with my sister and me, until dinner. After dinner, he would either watch TV (with my mother, sister, and me), work in the garage, or some combination of those two things. Weekends were spent much the same way or on a family trip. But whatever was going on, work was generally confined to 8:00-5:00, Monday through Friday.

Some people still enjoy that schedule, but for more and more of us, 5:00 is no longer a hard-and-fast boundary between work time and family time. I use 5:00 as an example, recognizing that there are many who's jobs have shifts that end at 3:00, 7:00, or myriad other times. My point is that the line between "work time" and "family time" has become blurred for many. I put myself in that group. I blogged last week about how I sometimes promise to leave at 5:00 only to find myself walking out the door much closer to 6:00 than I'd like. Technology has compounded this movement by making it possible to work from home much more easily.

You might not think that the Bible has much to say about that. After all, "God helps those that help themselves" (I'm still looking for that in the Bible). Perhaps you were encouraged to "work all the hours that God sends." I've already posted about how God expects us to work, and I'm not contradicting that now. But there's another side to life. God also expects us to be committed to family as well. That doesn't just mean providing for families. It also means teaching children. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 talks about the responsibility of parents to tell children what God has done. Any teacher can tell you how difficult it is to teach something to anyone without a relationship. You can't teach your children if you are never around--you have to invest in relationships with them. And God's plan is for both parents to be involved in that. 2 Timothy 1:5 talks about how important Timothy's mother and grandmother are in his faith while Ephesians 6:4 says that fathers are also responsible for training their children in the Lord. Paul doesn't say these things to place guilt or extra burdens on single parents. Instead, he is emphasizing the need to not be absent in children's lives.

Today is a holiday in America. Families are getting together for picnics and cookouts. Even if you cannot do so, find time this week to devote to your family. Many people have said "no one ever died wishing they'd spent more time at the office," and I think that is a very true statement. Make a commitment this week to spend time away from work and your laptop or smart phone where you can be fully present for your family. And if you cannot be with family this week, seek out those around you who have no family and be community for them.