Has there ever been better direction for time-management than that which comes from, Proverbs 31? I'm reminded of one popular rule in dieting, "Don't waste calories by diving into the bread basket." Here, the same rings true about life:
She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. ~ Proverbs 31:27, KJVMy job as a keeper of the home is to watch over the affairs of my household. This means that I need to engage myself in the home, watching over the affairs of each and every person therein. Where are my children? What video games are they playing? What books are they reading? Who are their friends? Is anything troubling my husband?
These are a few of the things we notice when we're actively involved with the family. With one look my husband can tell when something is bothering me, and I can tell in a split-second when Nathaniel is guilty about something. The more face-time (and I'm not talking about iPhones here) I have with these people the more I'll understand their needs and how fulfill them.
The thing is, moms are busy. There's no doubt about it, but yet I see some incredible moms who manage their house well, raise God-fearing children, have a great marriage, and still find time to write books, take classes, run small businesses, or work outside the home--the Proverbs 31 woman was a prime example of that. But how is it possible for anyone of us to do it all and still be engaged with the family?
It isn't. There isn't one of us who can do "it all," but we can manage to get a lot done when we put our affairs in order. That's where the second part of this verse comes in when it talks about eating the bread of idleness.
Consider the old saying, "There's a place for everything, when everything is in its place." While that's true, I'll also add this, there is no place for anything when junk is in it's place. I can't find the space to put my bath towels when my hall closet is packed with sewing supplies dating back as far as 1992. I can't find room for soup ladles in a drawer that's accumulated broken and useless utensils for the past 23 years.
We can visualize this problem when it comes to the drawers and closets in our home because the stuff eventually starts to fall out, but it's a little harder to see when we're talking about the closets and drawers of our life. What I mean by this is that the storage spaces we refer to as "time" tend to fill up with phone calls, watching television, browsing the internet, hanging out with our friends, being over-committed, sitting out in the sun, over sleeping, and the like.
Any one of those things are okay, but just like anything else, they can add up to cramped spaces. The question to ask yourself is what is most valuable to you? Prioritize faith and family first-- the rest will fall into place. Be willing to shed some "idle bread" and you'll free up valuable space in your life.
You are loved by an almighty God,
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How often am I convicted by a specific verse and then log on to my computer to see a message about that very verse? Our God is so amazing!! Thank you for these words this morning. It feels like the Holy Spirit nudging me not to forget during the busy day, the things He pointed out to me in the quiet morning hours before the household awoke. Have a great day, Darlene!
ReplyDeleteRight where I am right now....
ReplyDeletePraying that the Lord will help me get my priorities right.
Some things changed from last school year to this one, so I have to organize my whole day new. I could get up last year and have my quiet time before my family got up, now I have to find a new spot during the day. I started blogging and going to lead a GMG Bible Study Group for this upcoming fall and I would like to start running and work out and change eating habits.
I know I have to be patient and I am praying everything is going to fall in its place and until that day, I do whatever I can accomplish but also if not everything is done at the end of the day, I know everything is alright because my heavenly father is in charge!