One morning, when our oldest son was just 18 months old, my husband was running late (or at least later than he wanted to be) for work. He seemed stressed. As he was rushing past, our son lifted a book up to his daddy. “Pae?” (Please)

I watched as my husband stopped rushing and leaned over to Paxton, took the book, and calmly read it to him. I had one of those “I-think-I-just-fell-in-love-with-you-all-over-again” moments that I seem to have frequently.

I continue to see actions such as this on a regular basis, but in this particular incident, it was a short book and probably didn’t take a full minute. I’m sure it would have been easy for him to say, “not now buddy, I’ve got to go.” But he didn’t. He took a moment to demonstrate that our son is important to him.

It seems that all of us feel rushed from time to time. Unfortunately, families who always feel too rushed to take time for one another often begin to fall apart at the seams.

5 reasons to take time for your family

1. Stopping for even a moment to do something positive can help put your stressors in perspective and improve your attitude (read your child a story, tell your spouse your top 5 favorite things about him/her, and listen to your child’s long, rambling story/cheesy joke).
2. Taking time for your family reassures them that they are important to you, which will strengthen your relationships and you may be surprised at the response you get in return!
3. When you take time for your family and strengthen your relationship with your children, your discipline efforts are much more effective, leading to a more stable and secure household. (After all, discipline without relationship leads to rebellion!)
4. Taking time for your family, improving behavior management, and promoting a stable, secure household sets the tone for an improved, intimate marriage relationship and decreased stress.
5. Jobs come and go, but the best relationships last forever.

According to scripture, we were made in God’s image and God IS Love (1 John 4:8). Love is relational, and Love is unending. Our priority is to be a godly example to our families. If we are too busy to take time for them, we are not showing them love. Modeling God’s love to those around us (especially our families) is the most important thing we could possibly do on this earth!