Whitefield’s priority list would have been Jesus, ministry, and marriage last, whereas marriage should have a higher priority than ministry in a biblical man’s life.

via Men I’ve Learned From: George Whitefield | The Mars Hill Blog.

Please read the whole post.  It makes a great point about the temptation to sacrifice family on the altar of ministry.  Yet, I’m not sure I 100% agree with the above quote.  I believe, for the father and husband, that marriage & family is ministry.  I’m not sure we can so simply divy them up.  Also, I’m sure Jesus said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple,” (Luke 14.26).

Certainly Jesus is speaking in comparative terms.  Our devotion to Him must out strip our devotion to ‘wife and children.’  So, in light of this, were Whitefield’s priorities out of whack, or are we in danger or idolizing our families?

Consider that it is the parent’s role to disciple children (admittedly, Whitefield did nt have children).  How will they learn that Jesus is #1 is my life if I never choose Jesus over them?  If my life never causes me to say, “I’d love to, son, but I must follow Jesus,” am I displaying Luke 14.26 to my son?

While we must take care of our families, we must also beware lest we fall into the opposite trap of putting our families in Christ’s place.