"Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord."
It reminds us that if we do not lead our own household, we will struggle with leading elsewhere. Consider these errors made by the priest Eli.
1) Emphasis: He emphasized his focus on others, not on his family.
2) Expectations: He just thought his sons would 'get it'.
3) Example: He failed to live out in his home what he taught at work.
4) Entanglements: He got so caught up with his work, he blinded himself to his failures at home.
Now I don't remember where I found those insights above but I thought they were good to note. How about you - is there a chance you are making similar mistakes? If yes, now is the time to begin changing things, to become engaged, and to ensure accountability.
The 'How?' is up to you but if you would like some ideas, consider:
Our emphasis must be balanced; our spouse, our children, our friends and our co-works all (at times) need our attention. Our expectations can not be 'assumed' - if anything is important, we must treat it as such. Our example is always being seen; step up and ensure the Christian persona that you want others to see, is seen. And for our entanglements - manage our time and ensure our focus on our family is as important as our work pursuits. All of these are never easy but they are always the right thing to do.