I have a friend – let’s call him Andrew. Andrew works in the City. He is paid a lot of money and works a lot of hours. Our two families joined others for a church holiday earlier this year and I noted that Andrew was up to doing two or three hours of work a day. On one hand this looks ridiculous. Can he really not manage his work better so that he can focus on his family during the holidays? But then I realised that Andrew has something to teach us about work-life balance. (more…)
Archive for the ‘family’ Category
A true work-life balance
August 11, 2011Now I have children I read the Bible more
April 9, 2011“You have far less time once you have children”. That is right. There are now other people in your household who demand and require your attention, your time and your energy [and if you want a family set-up that gives you more time to serve God then you should avoid marriage (1 Corinthians 7:32ff), not children]. (more…)
Headed for hell
July 16, 2010Many of our friends, family members and colleagues are headed for hell – and all that that means. Should this keep us awake at night? How can we get on with ordinary life in the light of this truth? Section 9 of this suggests answers.
Child Neglect
August 25, 2009Overheard in the City:
A Christian in his early fifties had evidently done well enough to be able to retire.
“Now I can spend time with the children, having ignored them for the past 20 years.”
Discuss.
On volunteering
June 25, 2009I am very closely involved with a woman and her six children where I live. I am the main father figure these children have in their lives. I pour much of myself into them – and the mother – for no financial remuneration. I spend a lot of time with each child; I help them with their school work; I have taught each one to read; and I finance just about all the household bills – complementing what the mother gets through child benefit.
Do I do this because I am a great guy? Or is it because I am a member of a voluntary group; a group that nearly always has a positive effect on its members; where there is genuine give and take; where it is sometimes hard to spot who is the ‘volunteer’ and who is the ‘service user’? Sometimes, indeed, the whole group does voluntary, unpaid work to help outsiders.
