Text: 1Tim 4:4-5
“For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” (NIV)
One of the best places to start keeping the family together is at mealtime. We can use the occasion to give God thanks for the many blessings that we have received. Many folks today would say that their families are their number one priority and yet they spend very little time with them.
Statistics Canada reports that “on average, workers spent 45 minutes less with their family during workdays in 2005 than they did two decades earlier. Based on a 260-day work year, that amounts to 195 hours less, or the equivalent of about five 40-hour work weeks.”
We live in a society where preference is given to our careers, friends, and even to our personal hobbies while our kids are left to be nurtured by movies, video games and the internet. Gone are the days when many families would gather around the dinner table and talk about the day’s activities or events. Mealtime together in some homes is having Dad in front of the TV with his meal watching sports, mom is on the phone at the kitchen counter with her meal talking to her best friend and the kids are in the basement playing Xbox and eating their meals.
It is easy to forget that our children are not going to be young forever. Once our kids get to a certain age, they will become less interested in hanging out with the family and would rather hang out with their friends. We need to take advantage of the opportunities while we have it. Once these precious moments are gone, they cannot be repeated. Now is the time to create lasting memoires that can last a lifetime for our kids.
Part of the reason parents are having problems with their kids is because they are not spending quality time with them. This is why some kids get involved in drugs and gangs. It’s important to remember that quality time with your family is more important than quantity. If you can’t spend the day with the family, then spend an hour giving them your undivided attention.
If we truly want to make our families our top priority let’s start putting our words into action.
Here are seven things you can do to keep your family together:
1. Have a family night with games, arts and crafts or something that they will enjoy.
2. Spend one on one time with each child and don’t forget your spouse
3. Take family vacations together
4. Get out and go for walks or do a physical activity together
5. Pray and read the bible together
6. Go to church together
7. Go to your kid’s school plays or sporting activity as a family
We say that our families are a priority to us. Let’s take the time to be intentional about showing it and experience the benefits of a happier home.
