When work responsibilities intensify, be even more intentional to engage with your spouse and children.

“In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.” 2 Samuel 11:1

A leader’s success, if not stewarded wisely, can lead him or her into failure. Many times success gives a leader more options and increases their autonomy. It’s precisely at this point of enlarged personal power that an ego needs the checks and balances of wise counsel and loving accountability. Responsible leaders stay engaged in the everyday activities of real life, so they don’t act unrealistically. Humility is the fruit of those who serve their fellow humans.

Are you now disengaged from a community that invites vulnerability? The lure of success is to see others as inferior to your intellect or to disrespect them as “just the help,” instead of honoring other team members as the reason for your success. Avoid using people to enable your bad habits or to cover up your secret sins. David forgot that God had brought him from his humble beginnings as a shepherd, and he became enamored with himself as King. But, humility’s grateful attitude engages others.

“I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.” Romans 12:3 Message

Therefore, when work responsibilities intensify, be even more intentional to engage with your spouse and children. Lack of engagement can lead to estrangement. Prayerfully place guardrails around your schedule, so that you are not alone with a person of the opposite sex, where you might be tempted by sex. Emotional intimacy with needy co-workers is a recipe for relational disaster. Stay emotionally engaged with your spouse and be discreet at work about your personal problems.

Above all, as our discretionary time is on the rise, we are wise to lift the level of our time with the Lord in His word. Satan plays mind games to make us think we are smarter than we are, or strokes our ego with the lie that we are the exception to God’s expectations. So, we stay engaged in our prayer time and are quick to confess and repent of our sin. When our heart is engaged with Christ’s heart it is very, very difficult to drift into sin. So, seek God and stay engaged with Him!

“The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.” Psalm 25:14