Our dilemma this week is about finding the balance between work and family time. Damien and his young family are moving to a new area, and so Damien’s in the middle of finding a new job closer to the place they will soon call home.

He’s come across an opportunity that seems perfect – at least at first glance.  It’s in an industry that he enjoys and has a lot of experience; it’s a good position with responsibility and a steady income, and it’s not an easy job to come by. But here’s the catch – The boss needs someone to work six days a week, including Saturdays.

For many people that might not be a big deal – But for Damien and his wife, it is  - because they’re also very committed to serving at church, so Sunday isn’t a quiet, stay-at-home sort of day for them.  It usually involves an early start and a late finish. This means that if Damien took the job, he’d hardly have a day free to spend with his wife and young child – apart from the occasional RDO.

• Should Damien turn down this opportunity, and trust that God will bring him a job that is more suitable?

• Or could this in fact be an opportunity that God has brought his way….

• Could he perhaps accept the job and reduce the intensity of his church activities, in order to find more family time?

• Or, maybe he needs to treat it as a stepping stone: keep going with his church activities, but accept the job too, for a season. Maybe he could do this job for a while, then when he’s got his feet on the ground in the new town, look for something even better?

• If you’ve faced a similar scenario, how do you strike the right balance between work, and time with the family?