Better Work / Life Balance in Marriageనమూనా

As followers of Jesus, we called to consider our decisions and commitments and to be intentional in the way we spend our time. The call to being good stewards doesn’t stop with our finances: it also includes stewarding our time, work, gifts, and talents. Today’s verses from Proverbs and Luke speak to the importance of wisely counting the cost of our decisions.

Is your life marked by intentional stewardship of your time and talents? Is your working life marked by wisdom? Does it reveal that you love Jesus, and want to walk in his ways? Do your days reflect your desire to see “His Kingdom come and His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven?"

Work is an avenue where we can express the character of Christ. Doing good work, being reliable and honest, humbly seeking God’s ways in all you do, treating others with fairness and compassion—these all display the light of Christ, wherever you go. Your work matters. Your work can facilitate fruitfulness today and produce lasting fruit for God’s kingdom.

The way it impacts your spouse also matters. One way you can “count the cost” of your work commitments is by considering your spouse. How do your time commitments and your schedule affect them? Is your current commitment to work weighing heavily on your spouse? Are you bringing them your leftovers after you’ve given your all, all day, in a draining work environment?

Yes, there will be seasons when it’s necessary and right to sacrifice for your job and work super hard toward a goal. But if that continues long term, it will weigh on your marriage. Over time, you’ll need to find ways to make sure your daily life supports you, your spouse, and your marriage.

Balance is a work in progress, not something you can nail down once and for all. It requires troubleshooting and recalibration. Here are some simple ways to work together toward balance:

• Communication. If it’s not working, say so.
• When you do, communicate clearly and kindly. Together, choose a good time to talk: don’t spring it on your spouse.
• Use a 1-10 scale to rate the importance of the issue you’re facing, so your spouse knows how much it matters to you.
• Work together to brainstorm some possible solutions.
• Pick one to start with and agree to try it for a set amount of time.
• After that amount of time, check back in to evaluate how well it’s working.