Priorities

Gordon MacDonald - a remarkable Christian writer and speaker - writing in the current edition of Leadership magazine:

Walking one day with a wise old man ...I asked what now seems to be a stupid question: "What should be my priority? My family or the Lord's work?"

It seemed an appropriate question then. I'd grown up in a Christian tradition that made it clear that the "Lord's work" always came first.
...
His answer? "Gordon, your family is the Lord's work."

MacDonald's contention is that our "Loved Ones" (whether spouse, kids, closest friends) form the most healthy base environment that stops us "thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought" - when you're with the people that treat you as you - and love you just the same come success or failure - then that's both healthy perspective and life-giving encouragement.

And no less true as a basic human need and safety-harness for those who run their own business, are trying for the top of their career ladder or stride the TV stage - if we can't love and be loved by our 'Loved Ones', what sort of success in the rest of life can we really be?