What would a man give? What would you give? What would anyone give? But, alas, we can’t have it back. The past is gone and the future is now.
The real valuable things are things that last a lifetime and beyond. It always seemed ironic to me that a man who plays sports would give so much time to it that his family is neglected. He can play sports for a few years and then he becomes a spectator. Fantasy football is his passion.
When we really consider it, our work life is only about 30 years and by reason of strength we may get in forty. (This is my forty-eighth year in preaching.) Our work takes a large chunk of our time and energy. But who gets married without the hope of celebrating that Golden Anniversary?
We can spend a lifetime doing our thing and neglect the weightier matters of life. I want to encourage all of us to change the word lifetime to wifetime and make our homes more of what God intends for us. Spending more time with the wife of our youth can pay great dividends for a long and successful existence on the earth.
Work that last for 40 years is nothing compared to 50+ years with a wife and family. The end of a year brings together families and most are happy occasions. For some there is regret at the failure of families to enjoy get-togethers and share in the wholesomeness of families.
For those of us who still have time to make the best of family life, we will need to get back to fundamentals. The advice that Jesus gave to the Church in Ephesus is appropriate for us to regain our family and our faith: Repent and do the things you did at first. (Revelation 2:5) Go back to spending wifetime and you might see some really major changes in your life for the New Year.