The first and most important brick
in our lives is the Lord, in fact Jesus has become the cornerstone
on which we should build our houses. Our faith should be our
foundation, without which our houses won't be able to stand. He
should be our number one and should be our first love. We should
dedicate everything we have and everything we do unto Him. He
should be our everything.
2. Our family
Now the second most important brick
in our lives is our family. Starting with our spouse, our kids, our
parents and then on to our siblings, far off family and friends
that sometimes feel closer than family.
This is also the second
commandment, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Mark 12:31
They are the people that matters
most in your life and the ones who should receive second
place. I am convinced that at your deathbed they are the ones
you would want there with you, holding your hand and telling you
that they love you. Definitely not your broker, lawyer and
shareholders, I can promise you that!
Then why do we battle to make them
the second priority? Why are we inclined to organize our lives in
such a way that they receive maybe fourth or fifth place? Is it
because we think that they would understand that we are busy
building our careers? That we need some time to ourselves and that
we need recreation that takes the whole day on Saturdays,
every Saturday?
I think most of us want to receive
recognition from the world, and in the back of our minds we think
that our family will always be there, whether we spend quality time
with them or not. But the truth is the cement of your house is your
relationship with them as well as the quality time you spend with
them. Without that cement your whole house will come tumbling down.
Words are no substitute for deeds, and neither are presents. It is
only your presence that really counts.
One preacher once said that
whenever it was one of his childrens' birthdays he would make sure
he was home. Even if he was in China for a business trip, he would
fly back for their birthday and fly back to China the next day. And
you know what, I do believe that those children felt much more
loved, than when he simply picked up the phone and called them.
Well for some people a call would be a starting point as they
forget birthdays all together and when they claim that they care
about you, you struggle to believe them. Now I am not saying you
must do what this preacher did, but make the effort and go the
extra mile for those closest to you, help them to experience your
love and see God's love in you. Play with your kids, go and watch
their games, memorize their friends' names, spend quality time
alone with your spouse, surprise him/her with special notes in
their lunch box, come home early and have a game night with your
family, treat your parents now and again, phone them and be
interested in their daily living, I can go on and on, but I think
you get the point.
It doesn't cost money to put them
first, only time and effort on your behalf. And I can promise you
it would be worthwhile. Your house will be strong, and with the
right foundation, you will be able to weather any storm.
Lord Jesus, thank you so much for
our family and close friends. Thank you for blessing us with them.
Help us to treasure them and keep them close to our hearts.
Amen.