Master Your Time, Master Your Life: A 7-Day Brave Journeyનમૂનો

Protect the Glass Balls

A former CEO of Coca-Cola gave a powerful analogy for life. He said you are juggling five balls: work, family, health, friends, and spirit. Work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four are made of glass. If you drop one of them, it will be irrevocably scuffed, cracked, or even shattered.

Phase 3: Your time with family and friends—is about protecting those glass balls. They represent what is eternally significant.

You must be as intentional with planning this phase as you are with your work. The Apostle Paul exhorts us in Ephesians 5:15-16 to "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity." This wisdom applies not just to our professional endeavors but, more importantly, to how we steward the precious relationships God has entrusted to us. When you get home, you must be fully present.

Let's win the driveway. As you pull in, take a deep breath and pray for the strength to shift your focus. Consciously switch hats from "producer" to "parent," "spouse," or "friend." Walk in the door ready to lead with love and attention, mirroring the servant leadership of Christ. Your family doesn't deserve the leftovers of your energy; they deserve the best of it.

This is the very reason you work so hard. You hustle all day to provide for and protect this family, which is a biblical mandate. 1 Timothy 5:8 is clear: "Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." But don't be so consumed with the providing that you forget to be present. What good is it to gain the whole world, yet forfeit your own family?

One of the most powerful actions you can take is to put your phone away until the kids are in bed. Be there. Listen actively. Follow the instruction in Deuteronomy 6:7 to impress God's commandments on your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road. This is not downtime; this is your primary calling. This is enjoying the fruit of your labor and investing in the souls God has placed in your care.

Brave Truth: Your presence is the greatest gift you can give, reflecting the love and care God calls you to pour into your family.

Action Steps:

1. Create an Arrival Ritual: Establish a simple routine to transition from work to home (e.g., taking a deep breath, saying a prayer, putting your phone in a designated spot).
2. Schedule Family Time: Just like a business meeting, block out specific, intentional time for your spouse and kids this week with no interruptions.
3. Practice Active Listening: In your next conversation with a loved one, focus completely on what they are saying without planning your response.

Reflection Questions:

1. Which "glass balls" in your life are you currently at risk of dropping?
2. On a scale of 1-10, how present are you when you are with your family? What's the biggest barrier?
3. A man named Joey was told by his wife after he put his phone away, "In 12 years, this is the most present you've ever been." What would your family say about your presence?