Keeping The Main Things The Main Things

honor - Keeping the Main Things the Main Things

The wise shall inherit glory. Proverbs 3:35

Teresa and I recently remodeled our home. It was a special time as we drew up plans and then—step-by-step—watched our “dream house” become reality. As we went through this process, we found that each of us occasionally likes to have the final say-so. The decisions of what to add, what to remove, or what color to paint something was great fun, as long as we agreed. When we didn’t agree, there was friction.

Things such as house remodeling can bring out the selfishness in you and your spouse. If things aren’t settled quickly, your whole relationship can be contaminated. In our situation, I sometimes had to sit back, take a deep breath, and ask myself, “What or who is more important—Teresa or some house?”

It’s been helpful for me during such times to consider the “main things.” It can be so easy to get sidetracked from honoring one another by honoring the wrong things—in our case, the wallpaper or the color of paint we chose.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians about being “led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3, NASB). Being “led astray” is a painful but appropriate description of how I don’t always keep the main things the main things. One question I’ve found helpful in this area is, “How much priority will I give today to eternal things like God, His Word, and the people around me?” This question reminds me that God, His Word, and the people I love all have eternal significance. In other words, they are the main things.

I’ve learned that renovations to a house are never more significant than the people who will call that house a home.

What do you think should be the “main things” in your and your spouse’s lives?