I, therefore… beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. (Ephesians 4:1)

Caring entreaty (a serious, earnest, and often emotional request or please made to someone) helps give purpose and passion to life. It’s easy to fall into the barrenness of a busy life, thus faithfully addressing the tyranny of the urgent while the truly significant goes unnoticed. A caring entreaty brings us back to eternal reality. Life is short, but people are eternal, and I can make a difference in their lives.

Christ often gave testimony of being “entreated” by His Father. “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does.” (John 5:19)

Maybe such times of entreaty reminded the Son of His first day of ministry, when at the river Jordan He heard His Father say, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) In many ways, His earthly ministry can be seen in terms of a relationship that seemed to guard Christ from being caught up in temporal things, allowing Him to remain free to reach out in love.

Christ’s example encourages our openness to entreaty. One spouse seems to have a special sense about the children’s needs for time and attention. As the tyranny of busy schedules begins to take its toll on family closeness, they seem to sense the need to reconnect. Their loving entreaty maintains our family priority. “Honey, I think it might be important to plan some relaxing family time,” they will tell us. “Everyone seems to be needing it”.

We need to be entreated – in a loving way about what really matters.

ACTION ASSIGNMENT
What would you and your spouse put at the top of your list of priorities?

PRAYER: Father, keep me approachable and easy to entreat. In Jesus’ name, amen.