Nothing you neglect gets better.

BIG idea - Most relationships don’t die from conflict; they die from neglect.

I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; 31thorns

had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in

ruins. 32 I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: 33 A

little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—34 and poverty will come on

you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man. Proverbs 24:30-34 NIV

• Field: what you need today

• Vineyard: what you’re building for tomorrow

Neglect feels slow, but the consequences feel sudden.

Song of Songs 2:15 (NLT) Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard

of love, for the grapevines are blossoming!

If we’re not careful, our children can become one of these “little foxes.”

Child loving is when you'll do anything for your kids. 

Child-centered parenting is when you sacrifice everything, including your marriage for your

kids.

Neglect isn’t just doing nothing. Sometimes it’s doing the wrong thing really well.

I went past the field of a sluggard … 31the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone

wall was in ruins. Proverbs 24:30-31 NIV

You don’t drift because your marriage is weak. You drift because you stopped doing what

made it strong.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do

not give up. Galatians 6:9 NIV

TALK IT OVER

Read Proverbs 24:30-34. What are some of the main reasons people neglect their

relationships? What distractions might be most common?

What distractions are currently affecting your relationships? How could you overcome these

distractions?

You don’t drift because your relationships are weak. You drift because you stopped doing

what made them strong. What steps will you take this week to invest in your relationships?