Do You Balance Work and Family? (Proverbs 17:1)

Better is a dry morsel with quiet
than a house full of feasting with strife.

Proverbs 17:1 ESV

Peace is invaluable.

You can’t buy it, no matter how wealthy you are. But don’t we see it sacrificed all the time? Sometimes we sacrifice it ourselves.

We work constantly, eyes glued to our phones. Scrolling through our emails and instant messages. With the pandemic shifting many of us to remote work, this means the boundaries between our jobs and our lives often wear thin.

In today’s verse, a “dry morsel” means a modest lifestyle.

There are few extravagances and may not be piles of cash in our savings accounts. I’m not saying financial security is a bad thing. Instead, I’m auditing my work habits by considering Proverbs 17:1…

Do I have peace in my house by being engaged with my family — even if it means working less? Or am I generating wealth so we can buy stuff at the expense of peace?

I was guilty of workaholism in 2020. And do you know what working nights and weekends got us? Feasts with no peace!

My kids felt the disconnect. So did my wife.

Relational strife stems from broken connections. This year, I’m working hard to not work so hard!

…of course I’m still working hard. I’m simply going to work when I’m at work, and engage with my family when it’s time for work to stop.

Proverbs 17:1 Is A Guide

I’m going to honor the Sabbath, trusting in God to do more with my six days of work than I ever could with seven.

You know, I’ve never heard of someone getting to their deathbed and wishing they’d worked more. Instead, I hear about people in their twilight years looking at broken relationships and frayed connections, sorrowful that they invested so much to provide feasts instead of a father or mother.

Do you need to rethink your relationship with work and family like I do?