Tags: Misplaced priorities, neglect in families, Christian priorities, biblical priorities, how to stop neglect, spiritual neglect, time management Bible, KJV Bible neglect
In our generation of endless schedules, stacked commitments, and digital distractions, many wear busyness as a badge of honor. We proudly say, “I’m busy,” as if it’s proof of productivity or even faithfulness. But when the layers are peeled back, much of what we call busyness is just a web spun by misplaced priorities.
Neglect is not the product of having too much to do—it’s the fruit of caring too little for what really matters. This subtle truth stands in sharp contrast to how most people excuse their lack of attention toward God, family, church, and spiritual life. They say, “I don’t have time,” but in reality, they have time for what they love. They simply don’t love what they ought to love most.
Let us open the King James Bible and find out how we, as Bible-believing Christians, can spot the danger signs of neglect, realign our priorities, and choose the “good part” which shall not be taken away from us (Luke 10:42 KJV).
I. The Root Cause: Not Busyness, But Misplaced Priorities
It is natural for humans to fill their days. Since the fall of man, work and toil have been part of life (Genesis 3:19 KJV). But the question is not whether we work, but why and for whom.
In Haggai 1:5-6 KJV, God rebukes the people for neglecting His house while being busy with their own:
“Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.”
They were busy! They were planting, building, earning—yet neglecting the house of God. They did not lack time. They lacked the right priority.
Today’s believers repeat this pattern. Work, school, recreation, social media, and entertainment devour our days. The average Filipino might spend hours daily on Facebook or Netflix, but say they “have no time” to read the Bible or pray. The same hours that are so precious are spent freely on lesser things while souls starve.
II. Neglect in the Home: The Tragedy of Good Things Out of Order
Neglect is painfully visible in the family. A husband may excuse his absence from home because he’s “providing.” But God commands husbands to love their wives (Ephesians 5:25 KJV) and to dwell with them according to knowledge (1 Peter 3:7 KJV). Money cannot replace presence.
Children crave time more than toys. They need to see parents living out the faith. Moses commanded fathers to teach the words of God diligently to their children:
“And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” (Deuteronomy 6:7 KJV)
Many Christian homes are spiritually neglected not because parents do not love their children but because they do not prioritize spiritual instruction. They assume Sunday School will do what daily home discipleship should do.
III. Spiritual Neglect: The Most Subtle Danger
Busyness blinds us to the greatest neglect of all—our relationship with God.
Remember Martha? Jesus visited her home. Martha busied herself with much serving, but Mary sat at Jesus’ feet.
“And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42 KJV)
Martha wasn’t busy with sin—she was busy with service. Yet in her busyness, she neglected the “one thing needful.”
Today, many Christians work in church ministries, outreach, music, or missions yet starve themselves spiritually. They labor for the Lord but do not walk with the Lord. Daily personal prayer and Bible study are replaced with hurried routines and religious motion. We excuse ourselves: “I’m too busy to pray.” But Jesus rose a great while before day to pray (Mark 1:35 KJV). If He needed it, who are we to think we can live without it?
IV. The High Cost of Neglect
Neglect has consequences that ripple through generations. Consider Eli the priest. He was busy with temple duties but neglected to restrain his sons:
“For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.” (1 Samuel 3:13 KJV)
Eli’s misplaced priorities brought ruin to his household. His negligence was not that he did not serve the Lord, but that he did not prioritize what God wanted first—his own house ordered rightly.
How many churches are spiritually weak because parents neglect home devotions? How many marriages crumble because spouses neglect love and forgiveness? How many young people wander far because parents did not walk near to God and bring them along?
V. Setting Biblical Priorities: How to Stop Neglect
How do we stop the cycle of neglect? The answer is not to work harder or do more but to choose better—just like Mary.
1. Seek First the Kingdom
Jesus commanded,
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33 KJV)
Our schedules should reflect this. Give the Lord the first part of your day. Make worship, prayer, and Bible reading your daily bread.
2. Number Your Days
Moses prayed,
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12 KJV)
Time is life. Budget it wisely. Make a realistic schedule that honors your God-given priorities:
- Walk with God first.
- Love your spouse second.
- Raise your children in the Lord third.
- Serve your local church faithfully.
- Work diligently as unto the Lord.
3. Guard the Good Part
Like Mary, choose the “good part” daily. Protect your quiet time. Guard the family altar. Defend your Lord’s Day worship. Put your phone down and open your Bible.
VI. Practical Steps for the Busy Christian
Here are practical ways to realign your daily life:
✔ Daily Devotions: Start with at least 15 minutes reading the KJV Bible and praying before checking your phone or emails.
✔ Family Altar: Have a fixed time for family devotions. It might be after dinner or before bedtime.
✔ One-on-One Time: Fathers, spend one-on-one time with each child. Husbands, spend unhurried time with your wife.
✔ Sabbath Rest: Keep the Lord’s Day holy. Put away unnecessary work. Worship with your church family.
✔ Evaluate Commitments: Learn to say no to good things that steal you from the best things.
VII. A Final Word: Jesus Did Not Neglect His Mission
Praise God, our Savior was never guilty of neglect. He did not neglect the will of His Father, though it cost Him His life:
“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” (John 9:4 KJV)
He did not neglect the lost sheep. He left the ninety and nine to seek the one (Luke 15:4 KJV). He did not neglect you. He bore your sins on Calvary’s cross so you would never be forsaken.
How then can we neglect so great salvation? (Hebrews 2:3 KJV)
Conclusion: Choose the Good Part Today
Friend, you are not too busy to pray. You are not too busy to read God’s Word. You are not too busy to be present with your family. If you neglect these, it is not busyness—it is misplaced priorities.
Decide today to reorder your life. Jesus said:
“But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42 KJV)
May we have grace to choose the same.
Resources:
- Read the KJV online: https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/
- Learn time stewardship: http://grow.cpadavao.com
Let this be our prayer: “Lord, teach me to choose the good part every day. Keep me from the trap of busyness that blinds me to what matters most.”
Share this message with your family, friends, and church. Let us remind one another: neglect is never caused by busyness alone—it’s cured by setting our hearts on the One who deserves first place.
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