Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Resolved To Be Diligent - Dinner #43


     “I could NEVER stay at home with the kids, all day!  I’d be bored out of my mind!” Did you know that, in all reality, a “stay-at-home-mom” CHOOSES to be either the most idle or the most hardworking person on earth?  Everyone does SOMETHING with their 7 days a week – some watch more television than others, some share the Gospel more than others, some impart wisdom to their children more than others . . . The choice is entirely up to YOU!
     Proverbs 10:4-5 tells us that, “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.”  Would your family be earning very much money if your husband decided to work at his job with the same amount of diligence as you manage things at home?  If you are a “keeper at home” , then that is your JOB!  That is the task given to you by GOD! 
     If someone were to ask me, “What was YOUR New Year’s resolution?”, I would have to say, “To be a more diligent housewife than ever before.”  My original “Weekly To-Do” list included the usual - vacuuming, dusting, laundry, etc. - but I found that there were several NEW things I wanted to add.  In 2012, I want to make more time for things like preparing homemade baby food, reading books, sharing Bible stories with Brooklyn, writing love letters to my husband, and so on.  If I just make it a general goal to “be a better housewife” for the year, I probably won’t really change anything.  If I add several things to my “Weekly To-Do” list, however, I’m forced to see my goals and be reminded of them as I go through EVERY WEEK.  Maybe I won’t be able to check-off all 3 boxes for exercising, EVERY week, but that is, at least, the GOAL!  Maybe I won’t be able to do “Music Time” with Brooklyn as many times as I’d like to EVERY week, but it is at least something to strive toward! 
     Remember “The Proverbs 31 Woman”?  We find so many verbs, or “action words”, used to describe her, in that passage of Scripture!  “Seeketh” . . . “Worketh” . . . “Bringeth” . . . “Riseth” . . . “Giveth” . . . “Considereth” . . . “Girdeth” . . . “Strengtheneth” . . . She is constantly DOING!  She is GUIDING her household!  I Timothy 5:14 “I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.”  In Proverbs 19:14-15, Solomon tells his son that, “ . . . a prudent wife is from the LORD. Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.”  If you are an idle wife you may eventually find yourself “hungry” for a great many things – wisdom, knowledge, or even the respect of your husband and children.
     Should we allow ourselves to be so “busy” that we neglect what is TRULY important? No, of course not!  As we go throughout our week, we discover that our time here on earth is REALLY all about asking God what HE wants us to do with each new day and doing it “with thy might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).  I may not get to everything on "the list” – that may not be God’s plan for me this particular week – but having something to go by, helps me to be DILIGENT.  How easy it is to let day after day, month after month, go by, sitting around doing NOTHING.  NOT growing in the Lord!  NOT improving our own minds!  NOT teaching our children ANYTHING!  In Ephesians 5:16, we are encouraged to be “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Move forward with your life!
     Proverbs 6:6-8 says, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,  Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest . . .”  Is your husband always at home to see how you spend your time? No.  But God is!  Are you doing the best you can do, to take care of your husband and your children?  Are you doing the best you can do, to be a BLESSING to your household?  How will you choose to guide your home in 2012? With diligence?
  

1 comment:

  1. This was such a blessing to me! I thank God that He gave me the opportunity to read this! I have been struggling with just this: wanting to work harder; be more profitable to my Lord, husband, and household; and be the wife/mother that God created me to be!! I am glad you allowed the Lord to use you in writing this. I will be back to read more :)

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