Most, if not all, of us have a job in order to supply for the needs of our family. Hopefully you enjoy your job but at the end of the day, you are working to provide for your family.  We often feel the struggle between balancing work life and family life. As such, our work may sometimes cause us to miss ball games and other events and we’ll feel guilty that we’re not being a good parent. I have gathered five keys to help you balance your home and work life and be the parent that God has called you to be.

Focus on being a Godly parent.  Children are always watching their parents and they put much more importance on actions than words. One of my favorite sayings is from St. Francis of Assisi: “Speak the gospel wherever you go and use words when necessary.”

You cannot lead somebody to a place where you are not.  Complete and honest self-examination is one of the most difficult things that we can do.  However, it is necessary to do this so we can continue to grow in our relationship in Christ. We must continually examine and then prune ourselves. We should pray for each day to grow closer to Christ by allowing the Holy Spirit to remove more of yourself from your soul and allow more of Christ to fill the void.

Remember the First Commandment.  We know that we are not to have any gods before God. However, work and home life should not be put before your spiritual life. Matthew 6:24 tells us about the dangers of trying to serve two masters.

Pray for discernment.  A life out of balance is often due to us trying to lead God and not following. We can seek discernment from prayer, Christian friends, local pastor and The Bible.

Raise your children right.  We all love our children, but we must be careful not to spoil them. They need to see that in our words and actions, we are putting God first, spouse second and children third. Scripture reveals that our primary responsibility is to train our children to honor God and follow His teaching. Proverbs 7:2 reads, “Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.”