Posted in Godly Living

The second thing I found while studying the Proverbs 31 woman is that she is to be a homemaker. Titus 2:5 “…to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.” John MacArthur states in his notes on this verse that this means “keeping a Godly home with excellence for one’s husband and children is the Christian woman’s non-negotiable responsibility”(1886).

          God is very clear in His word on where he wants us as wives and mothers to spend the majority of our time. Anything that may limit our ability to keep our home with excellence should be considered thoroughly before becoming involved. “Excellence – the state or quality of being superior.”(Webster’s) As I was about to put supper on the table tonight I realized I didn’t have enough plates or silverware for the meal and thus found myself rushing to wash just enough so we could eat. Then realization dawned on me that I was not “keeping my home with excellence” and had to consider the activities of the day that led to such disorganization. The fact that a vet appointment for our puppy, a trip to the bank and other various errands took three hours out of our day has to be looked at as necessary disruptions, while sitting down to read the last three chapters of a book I couldn’t put down, putting together some mailings that really weren’t of any great urgency, and cleaning under the couch (desperately needed, but not as much as dishes for dinner), are chores that could have been completed at a later time. Making a list of things that needed to be done for the day and then prioritizing them would have helped me to complete the most necessary tasks, while others of lesser importance could have waited to another day if time did not permit the completion of the entire list.

          MacArthur states in his notes on 1st Timothy 5:14  “The home is the domain where a married woman fulfills herself in God’s design. “(1869) It’s hard finding fulfillment at home. Washing dishes, changing diapers, and scrubbing toilets does not create a very glamorous job description. Yet, even in these menial tasks, when done to the glory and honor of God and for the well-being of our families, one can find a type of satisfaction and joy that many women can only dream of achieving. “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)” Let’s face it, our husbands are not likely to walk in the door at the end of the day and lavish us with thanksgiving for the monotonous tasks we perform on a daily basis to preserve the ambience or our peaceful homes. Therefore, we need to be sure we are “laying up our treasures in heaven” by completing our God-given duties with a gentle and quiet spirit without expecting any earthly reward. Am I doing all to the glory of God, when I am mumbling about the mountains of laundry or when I greet my husband at the door (after working hard all day) with complaints about the nuisances I’ve encountered during the day? Ladies if our duties at home are not being met with joy and anticipation of God’s blessings, we need to consider spending more time on our knees and seeking God’s utmost desire for our lives.

          Again, MacArthur also states in his notes on Proverbs 31:15 “thus keeping a before-sunrise to after-dark schedule to care for her household, which was the foremost priority of her life.”(922) I don’t know about you but I have a hard time getting up before the kids let alone before sunrise. However, I easily keep an after-dark schedule trying to get the kids to bed, fit in devotions and prayer time, and any last minute picking up that shouldn’t be left until morning. I’m not sure the emphasis here is so much on the early rising, but on the fact that the home is her foremost priority. Every decision we make as wives and mothers have to be made in relation to the welfare of our husbands and families. Every activity we choose outside the home has to be balanced with the needs of our home. With five children it would be so easy to get over-involved in educational pursuits, art classes, sports, or community service. I have found, however, that these types of activities can be added to a busy schedule with careful planning and good time-management. On Wednesdays, one of my older children has been involved in leadership training. Therefore, on Wednesdays, after I drop him off, I choose to do my grocery shopping, since both tasks take about the same amount of time, and I don’t have to feel I took unnecessary time away from home to allow him to be involved in something that interests him.  Laundry is another chore I have to do outside of the home, and therefore can use the time the laundry is washing or drying to do visitations with one of my younger children who loves to visit the elderly, or have play dates with friends for the youngest ones.

          Some women are clearly more organized than others and can handle service outside of the home while at the same time maintaining order. I’m not one of them. I find that if I’m gone from home more than two days a week even if only for a couple of hours, utter chaos follows. I become cranky at the work left undone, and yell for the kids to help me pick up quickly before Dad gets home. I have to throw together a quick dinner on those days, unless I had the foresight to plan ahead and have part of it completed before I left (which, for me, is a rare occasion). Furthermore, I find myself, greeting my husband’s home coming with relief rather than joy. “You’re finally home, you deal with the kids for a while so I can have a break.” Instead of  “I’m so glad you’re home. How was your day, I missed you.” Thus adding to his stress and not allowing him a reprieve from working tediously all day.

You make alot of excellent points! I use the Homeschool Tracker too, and an online calendar so each family member can type in their activities for the week and I don't double schedule us (which used to happen when I used a paper organizer... I frequently couldn't FIND it, and I was the only family member adding info so sometimes we were double booked for activities... yikes!)

It's very encouraging to know that my thoughts/questions/prayers meant something to you.

I'm new to this whole "blogging" thing, so have yet to figure out how to do friends. (As a matter of fact, this is my first comment-post.)

Anyway, thanks again!
ang

for you opinion you left on my blog. this was a great post. :)


Alycia