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Putting Work First​—Is It Satisfying?

In Japan, wage earners are often transferred to new locations with a promotion and increased pay. But more often than not, this means that the head of the house has to move to another city away from his family. Among reasons for the family’s not moving are: aged parents, disruption of children’s schooling, and the recent purchase of the house the family is living in. But the results are sometimes tragic: a broken home, divorce, and even suicide. The Mainichi Daily News calls it “‘Unhealthy’ Lifestyle for Company Profit.”

Current surveys indicate that more and more workers feel that the company should not be of first concern. Would they put their families first? Actually, it appears that there is a trend among the Japanese to spend more time on personal pursuits apart from the family.

That the present life-style is not fully satisfying may be reflected in the record number of suicides in Japan in 1983. In the worst outbreak of suicide since records started being kept in 1947, 25,202 killed themselves. Nearly half of the male suicides were in their 40’s and 50’s. Fittingly, an editorial in the Mainichi Daily News suggests that “men must free themselves from the way of life regulated by the spirit of ‘the organization.’”

In contrast, men who have studied the Bible with their families make better parents and have a more satisfying homelife. While they are good providers, they have learned what to put first and, as a result, enjoy meaningful lives with prospects of everlasting benefits.