I heard this statement once: “Ministry leaders, you’re going to disappoint someone, try not to let it be your kids.”
There are many ways that ministry work gets put in front of family. So, it doesn’t seem too bad for it to be the other way around at times. There are those moments that kids will remember. At some point, no one else in the whole world will know, but your kids will remember.
I have been reminded of this as I have had the privilege this week serving at the Family Life Conference event in Greenlake, WI. I love leading music for this group and taking part in the ministry, but I also love the free time in the schedule to hang around with my wife and daughters. It’s a blast.
But, you can’t drop everything and sit at home all day either – what would that teach your children? They have to also grow to understand the balance of work, life and ministry.
Here are some thoughts:
– Invite your child to go with you on errands or trips.
– Take your family to camp or retreats with you, if possible.
– Prioritize family trips, games, etc and make sure to keep them on the priority list.
– Invest some time each day, week and month in looking over the calendar so that you can make sure you do what needs to be done.
– Create memories with your kids.
– Set some boundaries for how many nights you can be away for meetings, how often you will have your cell phone out at home?
– With as much diligence as you prepare for and are punctual with other meetings, be sure to be on time to activities involving your kids – picking them up, sports, etc.
– “Play” as hard at home as you “work” when you are working.
No one is a perfect parent, but this quote helped me trade a few little, probably non significant things for more opportunities to invest in the lives of my kids as much as possible.
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Six Ways Dads Help Their Kids Belong