What should be the role of journalists in their families despite their hectic job schedule? This devotional offers stresses the importance of finding the right balance between being a family conscious person\u00a0 and work.<\/p>\n
If you were appreciated and celebrated yesterday (Father\u2019s Day) as a father or you remembered to send a message to your father in appreciation of all he did in raising and supporting you in your career, you must be one of the journalists who appreciate the importance of the family despite the busy schedule that makes many to relegate family issues while prioritizing their work.<\/p>\n
Like every journalist, it can be tough balancing the affection we need to give our children, spouses and other family members and meeting various deadlines that pull us in different directions while they sometimes wait endlessly and painfully.<\/p>\n
Yet, the scriptures in various verses remind us of the need to be available for our families as much as possible and the implications of not raising our children properly.<\/p>\n
Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)<\/p>\n
\u201cStart children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Deuteronomy 6:6\u20137 (NIV)<\/p>\n
\u201cThese commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Even when our phones won\u2019t stop buzzing or the editor is still calling late, we cannot afford to be permanent absentee fathers and mothers because of the essential nature of our job.<\/p>\n
Jesus said, \u201cWhat good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?\u201d (Mark 8:36).
\nWhat good is it to be a diligent at work at the expense of our families?
\nWhat will it profit us in the long run if we win awards for coverage if our children and spouses grow up feeling ignored?<\/p>\n
While the job is only for a while, however long we are at it, the family remains a permanent feature of our lives.<\/p>\n
You may not always be home before bedtime. You may miss the school programmes your children would have loved you to attend. But don\u2019t miss the opportunity to be intentionally present when you are home or free from work. Speak life. Share prayers. Be emotionally available, even when physically stretched. Apologize when needed. Laugh loud. Bless them before you head out again.<\/p>\n
Let your children and family know you care about them and not just the headlines and deadlines you keep chasing without finding the right balance between family and work.<\/p>\n
Prayer:<\/p>\n
Lord, thank You for the gift of family. Thank You for the privilege of journalism.
\nTeach me to balance both with grace.
\nLet my family never feel secondary to the stories I cover.
\nLet my presence bring peace, my words bring life, and my faith be seen clearly both at work and at home. Amen.<\/p>\n
The WORD, June 16, 2025 (Devotional Publication of Journalists for Christ International Outreach)<\/p>\n