Over lunch today a good friend and I were talking about work and family and the mystery of balance. He's been out of work for a few months now, which gives him a certain perspective.
When I mentioned that I sometimes find it hard to reconcile the needs of my family with three small children at home and the encouragement to develop myself as a leader as much as I can he said something truly profound:
"Your job is not a covenant".
He went on to say that as a follower of Jesus I have a covenant promise with God, and as a married man I have another one with Kristen (and by extension our kids). But while I may be strongly committed to my other roles in life (profession, extended family, community, friendships, etc.), none of them have that same qualification.
A covenant is something much more than a commitment, it is a soul promise. It is an enduring sacrificial pledge from which there is meant to be no exit. It is a sacred and determining priority.
Church people often make trite statements about putting God first, marriage second, children third, church next, and so on...
But working that out in real life is far more complex. We can't just say that we always do family things before work. Real life requires compromise and constant renegotiation. that is why the reminder of covenant is so helpful. It's much deeper than a list of priorities. It's a fundamental orientation to life that honours core relationships even in the midst of the challenge doing so presents.
Thanks Gerb, I needed that.
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