|
Sep. 30, 2009
So, You Prefer I Use Birth Control?
God did not say,“Children are a gift from Me…well, for the next 6,000 years or so. But after that, you brilliant people will come up with a way to stop them from coming. The easiest way will be with a pill that often causes mood disorders, weight gain, nausea, abdominal pain, cancer and sometimes even abortion. But don’t worry about those, this is my will for you, I just forgot to mention it when the Bible was written. And when people make rude comments about your sex lives (which I created), you should be ashamed. I mean, anyone with a brain should be on birth control.” Read the rest of this AWESOME article, here...
Subscribe to God's Plan For Families 
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Sep. 20, 2009
Woman dies at 99, leaves behind 1,400 descendents!
Wow! THIS is a great article. We would LOVE to leave behind this many godly descendents! Can you imagine what an impact Christians could have if we all adopted this way of life? Children are BLESSINGS from God and SHOULD BE desired in abundance! If all committed Christians before us had lived this way and had this heart, we would most likey NOT be where we're at today, spiritually speaking. Yes, not all would have been blessed with many children and some might have turned away from the faith, but if all Christians had this heart for children, we would still be in a better place than we are today.
Also, make note of one of the commenters of this article who said that Muslims call this kind of reproduction, "Womb-Jihad". Scary, but becoming so true in Europe and even America!
Mark and Lisa Metzger
Subscribe to God's Plan For Families
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Sep. 17, 2009
How Do You REALLY View Children?
There was a time when men would slap one another on the back to hear that a friend was so blessed; and women would shout with delight, gathering around the expectant mother with hugs and smiles. What happened? Why are children today viewed as a burde n (so don't have too many), rather than a blessing ("Lord, I'm ready to be blessed with as many as you want to give me!") Read The Rest HERE
Subscribe to God's Plan For Families
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Sep. 4, 2009
Making decisions about Family Size
Why we allow God to plan our family size
( Allow? Allow God? Who am I to allow God? )
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5, 6
Sometimes people ask me what scripture we base our family size on.
I think they expect me to quote verses like
"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate." - Psalm 127:3-5
Or to quote all the "Be fruitful and multiply" verses.
Or they expect me to recant how, throughout the Bible, God considers children a blessing to be desired (in the stories of Abraham & Sarah... of Isaac & Rebecca... of Rachel & Leah... of Hannah)
But for us it was not only what we found in scripture, but in looking at God's original perfect design. He did not create birth control. He made us to *naturally* have many babies. There was a study last year that showed our bodies actually do not do well menstruating month after month, because they were not intended to do that. They were created to have babies. The REST HERE...
Subscribe to God's Plan For Families
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Jul. 25, 2009
Beautiful poem on why one has so many children....
I Would Gather Children
Some would gather money
Along the path of life
Some would gather roses,
And rest from worldly strife.
But I would gather children
From among the thorns of sin,
I would seek a golden curl,
And a freckled, toothless grin.
For money cannot enter
In that land of endless day,
And roses that are gathered
Soon will wilt along the way.
But oh, the laughing children,
As I cross the sunset sea,
And the gates swing wide to heaven,
I can take them in with me!
~Author Unknown
Subscribe to God's Plan For Families
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Jul. 20, 2009
Being quiverfull is not for everyone...or is it?
Comment: I have had 5 c-sections, then I had a tubal ligation. Yes, we should let God dictate various things in our lives, but we must also use our God given wisdom to know when somethings are meant for some but not everyone, I don't think it would have been wise to go through another c-section...but I am at peace with my 5, as other women are at peace with just having 1. [Being] quiverfull is not for everyone.
Response: Yes, God might give someone 0 and another 20...either way we should feel peace IF we have allowed Him to have His way with us, but if you look at our post on why "feelings of peace" do not always equal God's Will (See HERE) you will see why I feel that peace of our hearts CAN be deceitful, and against the Will of God. It seems nothing but clear to me, upon the study of how our hearts are "deceitful above all else," that we are to use God's Word in order to determine His Will for us, not a"peace" that we feel.
[On a side note....If we think more deeply about the peace of the heart, I'm sure that many "criminals" have even felt peace about breaking the law for one reason or another....it doesn't mean that their peace aligned with God's Will...it's solely through the study of His Word that we can determine a right path.]
We never know what could have been unless we render that control to Him. After all, who knows better than our Creator knows what we can handle? I'm sure a lot of people would have told you to stop at 3 c-sections, but if you had listened to them then you would not have those precious two additional blessings that God sent you when you were willing.
Another important thing to remember is that being "quiverfull" is not having as many babies as you CAN, but allowing God to dictate how many souls He creates without human interference on our part. "Unless the Lord builds the home (directly translated: children), he labor in vain who builds it." Psalm 127:1
Mark and Lisa Metzger
Subscribe to God's Plan For Families
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Jul. 15, 2009
The TRUTH about the birth control pill and abortions...what every woman should know!
Jun. 25, 2009
Children are a Burden
|
What does Psalm 127:3-5 really say to most Christian Americans?
This:
"Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed. When they speak with their enemies in the gate."
Or This:
"Lo, children are a burden from the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is a curse. Depressed is the man who has children, and happy is the man who avoids them or has as few as possible." (Humanistic Version)
Bottom Line:
What do our words and actions show in our own Christian walks? Examine your thoughts, spoken words and actions in light of God's Word. Which do you put your trust in....man's wisdom or God's?
Mark and Lisa Metzger
|
• Comments
(3) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Jun. 16, 2009
Taking Fertility Medicine/Treatments to Expand Your Quiver...is this okay?
Jun. 10, 2009
THE HATED WORD - What word in the Bible upsets most Christians?
Psalm 104:24, "O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches."
Filled. It doesn't sound such a bad word, does it? I wonder why so many people hate it. It's strange that so many Christians hate it when God loves it! In fact, this word describes who God is. He fills the heavens and the earth. He fills all in all--and Jesus is the fullness of Him who fills all in all. The whole earth is full of His glory. He is filled with majesty, filled with righteousness, filled with compassion. He does not have these attributes in a little measure but is filled with them.
God does not take long to introduce this word to us. He uses it in the very first chapter of the Bible.
Genesis 1:28, "And God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it'..." It is interesting that the very first words that God spoke to man included the word fill. It is obviously very much part of God's heart. He loves abundance.
After God destroyed mankind through the flood, apart from Noah and his family, He repeated the same command again. This time He repeated it twice. Genesis 9:1 and v. 7, "And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth'..."
The Hebrew word is male which means "fill to overflowing". Many take objection to God's command today. They certainly don't want to fill their families to overflowing. They would rather fill their homes with "stuff"--more gadgets, more furniture, bigger TVs and computers.
Yet it seems that every time God speaks about children, He uses this despised word.
When Jacob and his family went down to Egypt there were only 70 of them. Four hundred years later they emerged a mighty nation.
Exodus 7:7 says, "The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them." They became "more and mightier" than the Egyptians who began to fear them. Their fear turned to persecuting them and making them slaves. But the more the Egyptians afflicted them the more they multiplied. This is God's purpose for His people. He wants them to fill the earth with His glory--His love, peace, truth and salvation.
Numbers 14:21 says, "But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord." This is not talking about creation, but God's people who bear His image in the earth. God wants this earth to be filled with His image. God wants His land to be "filled with flocks of men." (Ezekiel 36:38, Psalm 80:8-9)
God's picture of a blessed family is one filled with children. Once again it is this detested word. Society is brainwashed to think differently than God thinks. And of course, we think that we know better than God. But what does He say? "As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that has his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate." (Psalm 127:4-5)
The parents who have their quiver full are happy! Actually, the Hebrew word in this Scripture is a double word which should be translated, "happy, happy". The parents who have their quiver full will not be ashamed. The parents who have their quiver full will have children who know how to speak against the evil things in the land, even in high places. The gate in Bible days was the civic center of the town, the place of administration of justice.
Zechariah 8:4-5 is one of my favorite Scriptures. It is a picture of what Jerusalem will be like when God dwells there. "Thus saith the Lord of hosts: There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof." What a beautiful picture of children playing while the old people walk the city streets with their canes and watch the children in the city squares. And do you notice that there are not a few children playing? The streets are filled with boys and girls. How God delights to see them playing together.
Here's one more Scripture. Luke 14:23 says, "Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." God loves to have a full house. It's part of His character. If we have God's heart, we'll want to have a full house too.
Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
PRAYER:
"Lord, I pray that you will change my heart. Save me from from thinking miserly, but help me to think like you think. Amen."
AFFIRMATION:
I'm filling my home with God's blessings.
P.S. Next week we will continue to find out more areas of our lives that God wants to fill.
Many women like to save these devotions. They print them out and keep them in a folder to read over and over again. Some print them out and pin them on the fridge with a magnet to read through the week. If you are printing this devotion and need it to be smaller, highlight and change to a smaller font.
If you know others who would be blessed by these devotions, you are welcome to forward them or let them know they can subscribe by sending a blank email to subscribers-on@aboverubies.org
Subscribe to God's Plan For Families
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Jun. 5, 2009
Isn't it legalism to try to work for our blessings?
Q. Isn't it legalism to try to work for our blessings? If we to TRY to have more children and be quiverfull, aren't we being legalistic?
A. Actually, legalism is trying to improve your standing before God, as the Pharisees did. It is the motive, not the deed itself; the heart, not the action. In other words, true legalism is a type of work-based salvation. Obedience is a heart, seeking to obey Jesus and become more like Him in order to bring joy to the Savior! "Obeying God's laws is an act of praise, not a bribe. Obeying God's commands is an act of gratitude, not a payment. " Dr. Robert G. Spinney So, I don't really see how legalism could be applied to this subject, *unless* someone was trying to "improve their standing before God" by actively conceiving children..."The more children I have, the happier God will be with me." In that case it would most definitely be a "heart issue". ~ Mark and Lisa Metzger
Subscribe to God's Plan For Families
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
May. 11, 2009
Do You Need Your Baby-Fix? The Barren Womb is Never Satisfied - What does this mean, anyway?
My online friend, Val, has some wise words to share on her study of the barren womb never being satisfied. Do these verses apply only to women who have never had a child or are these verses applicable to women who have intentionally closed their wombs to more children? Read on to learn more in the study of God's Word! I wrote some follow up comments following Val’s commentary on Proverbs 30:15-17.
~ Lisa Metzger
To share some of what I've studied as to what the term 'barren womb' means in Prov. 30:15-17, I think it's very important to point out that we need to study its meaning by the context in which the words are found.
Proverbs 30:15-17 says, "The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough: The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough."
From reading the context of this verse, I believe that it means exactly what it says about the barren womb being 'unsatisfied', rather than 'never having borne a child'(although it doesn't necessarily exclude that either). It also literally means, 'the closed womb', a phrase which is found in other places in scripture that refers to both the wombs of those who have born children, as well as those who have not.
The 'barren womb' here is compared with the grave, which, rather than being seen in this passage as something that has never been occupied, is rather, a thing that is always seeking to be filled with the bodies of those who die. The grave has 'never been satisfied' since death first entered into the world by Adam's sin, though it is filled day after day with dead people in an 'insatiable' way.
Again, 'the barren womb' in Prov. 30 is compared with fire that's always seeking more to consume, or earth that continues to soak up water. Neither of these other 'insatiable' examples given in the context of the verse about the barren womb are things that had nothing to start with, such as a womb that has 'never' had a child. There can be no fire without first providing the fuel to start one, after which there is 'no satisfying' the 'desire' of the flames for more fuel. Neither do we picture the earth in this verse as a desert that has never felt a drop of water, but rather a place that continues to seek for water time and again through the amazing water cycle that God has ordained to sustain life on earth.
Another way to perhaps grasp the meaning of this verse better is to think of it in relationship to eating. If a person never even gets a bite of food, you wouldn't likely refer to them as 'never being satisfied', because they're not even having a chance to be filled. We're more likely to refer to a glutton in the process of eating as someone who is 'never satisfied' no matter how much they are given to eat (or in this case of 'the barren womb', no matter how many children it has been filled with), rather than to say of a starving person who is without food that they are someone who 'is never satisfied'. It makes more sense to use this type of terminology with someone in the process of eating and being filled, than with someone who never even begins to eat. In the same way, the context suggests that no matter how many children one bears, their 'barren womb' is never satisfied.
The context even clarifies its meaning further by saying there are four things that never say 'it is enough', rather than referring to things that never have had the satisfaction of being filled with anything to begin with. I think the reference to fire really removes all doubt about its meaning here because you simply can't have fire without starting from the first spark, or flame, after which it will continue to consume as long as there is fuel to feed it. If compared identically to the other insatiable things in this verse, the empty womb will continually desire to be filled, no matter how many babies it holds. I hope I'm making sense in how important it is to study the scriptures in context and by how the word is used along with other words.
This is not to say that a womb that has never experienced conception is any less insatiable than one that has, but from the context, it seems that it's definitely referring to all empty wombs, whether of those who have never had children, or those who have. I just wanted to share my thoughts on this subject since another poster made it sound as if this passage only refers to those who have never had a child.
Blessings,
Val
Music That Encourages the Heart
www.valhalloran.org
www.valhalloran.com
To add to what was already said, I looked up the meaning/direct translation of the word "satisfied", and it means "to fill to satisfaction (literally or figuratively) - have enough, fill, be (to the) full (of), have plenty of, be satiate, satisfy (with), suffice." The term "barren" directly translates as "closure, constraint, close up, restrain, shut, withhold, keep (self-close; still) to hold back".
To me, that is crystal clear.....the womb is closed whether it was done intentionally or un-intentionally; temporarily or permanently, because of how barren is translated. When using birth control/sterilization, we are "self-clos[ing]" or "hold[ing] back" our wombs, and therefore, they are never satisfied. So, after looking at the original text, it is quite clear...the barren (closed) womb is never satisfied!
Also, on a side note, I have noticed very often that women who have decided to close their wombs temporarily or permanently through sterilization or by using birth control, mention how they need to hold my baby to get their "baby fix". I think this is an example of a barren womb that is never satisfied. They're intentionally closing their wombs and denying its satisfaction as God created it to be satisfied. That said, a woman should always submit to her husband's authority in this area, as long as she is not taking a life through hormonal birth control or surgical abortions, of course.
Very cool, Val! Thanks for sharing that Scripture!
~ Lisa Metzger
Subscribe to God's Plan For Families
|
• Comments
(1) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Apr. 26, 2009
Muslims outnumbering Christians
Apr. 13, 2009
Acts 17 and the Bereans - Studying what Scripture has to say on Family Planning
Acts 17:11 "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."
[These were more noble] eugenesteroi. This literally means more noble by birth; descended from more illustrious ancestors. But here the word is used to denote a quality of mind and heart. They were more generous, liberal, and noble in their feelings; more disposed to inquire candidly into the truth of the doctrines advanced by Paul and Silas. It is always proof of a noble, liberal, and ingenuous disposition to be willing to examine into the truth of any doctrine presented.
[In that] Because.
[They received the word ...] They listened attentively and respectfully to the gospel. They did not reject and spurn it as unworthy of examination. This is the first particular in which they were more noble than those in Thessalonica.
[And searched the scriptures] That is, the Old Testament. The apostles always affirmed that the doctrines which they maintained respecting the Messiah were in accordance with the Jewish scriptures. The Bereans made diligent and earnest inquiry in respect to this, and were willing to ascertain the truth.
[Daily] Not only on the Sabbath, and in the synagogue, but they made it a daily employment. It is evident from this that they had the Scriptures; and this is one proof that Jewish families would, if possible, obtain the oracles of God.
[Whether those things were so] Whether the doctrines stated by Paul and Silas were in accordance with the Scriptures. The Old Testament they received as the standard of truth, and whatever could be shown to be in accordance with that, they received. On this verse we may remark:
(1) That it is proof of true nobleness and liberality of mind to be willing to examine the proofs of the truth of religion. What the friends of Christianity have had most cause to lament and regret is, that so many are unwilling to examine its claims; that they spurn it as unworthy of serious thought, and condemn it without hearing.
(2) The Scriptures should be examined daily. If we wish to arrive at the truth, they should be the object of constant study. That man has very little reason to expect that he will grow in knowledge and grace who does not peruse, with candor and with prayer, a portion of the Bible every day.
(3) The constant searching of the Scriptures is the best way to keep the mind from error. He who does not do it daily may expect to "be carried about with every wind of doctrine," and to have no settled opinions.
(4) The preaching of ministers should be examined by the Scriptures. Their doctrines are of no value unless they accord with the Bible. Every preacher should expect his doctrines to be examined in this way, and to be rejected if they are not in accordance with the Word of God. The church, in proportion to its increase in purity and knowledge, will feel this more and more; and it is an indication of advance in piety when people are increasingly disposed to examine everything by the Bible. How immensely important, then, is it that the young should be trained up to diligent habits of searching the Word of God. And how momentous is the obligation of parents, and of Sunday school teachers, to inculcate just views of the interpretation of the Bible, and to form the habits of the rising generation, so that they shall be disposed and enabled to examine every doctrine by the sacred oracles. The purity of the church depends on the extension of the spirit of the nobleminded Bereans, and that spirit is to be extended in a very considerable degree by the instrumentality of Sunday schools. (from Barnes' Notes)
Do we do this today, as Christians? Do we examine our teacher's and preacher's words to see if they are TRUE to what the Bible says? Generally, no. If we do, we tend to be labeled as legalists. How sad!
In the above verse it says that the people who DID hold Paul's teachings to Scripture were "of more noble character"! Wow! And why don't we want to be of more noble character, again? Ahhh, because the label we would earn is so negative.
If our attitude is one of obedience, rather than one of just following rules and regulations, then we are not legalists, but we are seeking to be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16). Will we ever be holy on this earth? No. But shouldn't that be our goal? Yes. For THAT is what pleases God! I don't know about you, but that's what I want to do!
That said, think on this....
- What does the Bible say about controlling family size?
- What does the Bible say about limiting the number of children God sends you?
- What does the Bible say about birth control?
- What does the Bible say about children being the ultimate of blessings?
- Does your attitude toward accepting as many children as the Lord would send you align with Scripture?
- Does your church's attitude toward accepting as many children as the Lord would send align with Scripture?
- Does the attitude of most Christians accepting as many children as the Lord would send them align with Scripture?
That is pretty scary if we're believing what society and other Christians have to say regarding an eternal decision such as that. Nowhere in Scripture does it point that WE should be rejecting, preventing or withholding the blessings of children! In fact...all it says is that GOD controls the opening and closing of the womb! God was the one who was always said to have prevented children from being conceived! God was the one who was always said to have blessed people with the conception of a child!
Have you closed yours to God? Can He overcome that closure? Yes. But generally, God works with the natural rules of science set in this world by Him. Are you preventing God from blessing you? Check Scripture on that (nothing else, JUST Scripture) and see where God stands on that subject.
Mark & Lisa Metzger
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Apr. 13, 2009
How do you handle all those kids AND homeschool? Homeschooling a Large Family!
The most-asked question our larger-than-average family gets is this: "How do you handle all those kids AND homeschool?" To be honest, we probably get the "How many kids do you plan on having anyway?" one even more often, but you'll have to ask God for the answer to that one. :) I, however, will attempt to explain how we do all that we do with 8 kiddos, all while keeping the peace and order in our humble abode! So, here we go!
Mark and I have 8 children ages: 16, 9, 8, 7, 4 1/2, 3 1/2, 18 months and 3 months. Below is our usual schedule, but with a baby, toddlers and life in general this can all change at a moments notice. Overall, I like having a schedule so that the kids know what to expect and when, but I do NOT let it rule me. It's just a guide. It helps tremendously that we school year-round! It allows for extended holiday breaks and breaks throughout the year when I feel "burnout" coming. :) I am also a firm believer that just because a schedule works well for one family it might not work well for another, so keep that in mind when trying to create one of your own!
Our Schedule
7:00 - wake-up, make bed, tidy up rooms, put away night clothes and eat
7:45 - kitchen chores (95% done by children) and teeth brushed
8:00 - seatwork (kids sit at kitchen table and do math/language/typing/geography game online)
9:00 - older kids teach younger ones preschool (it is really neat to have the older ones learn to teach their siblings...it develops their abilities in so many ways!)
9:30 or 10:00 - finish seatwork
Whenever seatwork is done - Mystery of History, Bible, Science (to see curricula it's on the right hand side of my 2nd Generation Homeschooling blog) and Ellie naps. Judah (3 months) naps on and off throughout the day and goes to bed at 8:00.
12:00 or 12:30 - Lunch and wake Ellie
After lunch - outside play time/educational games/reading/educational DVD's or YouTube unit studies (this varies according to my whim...ha)
2:30 - Ellie (18 months) naps
4:00 - Kids are inside and doing their afternoon chores
5:00 - Get ready for Daddy's homecoming (vacuum, set table, ready dinner, etc.) and wake Ellie
6:00 or 6:30 - Dinner
7:30 - Kitchen Cleanup by kids while Mark and I discuss our days
Nighttime routine is here, although we have added family worship to this, which is directed by Daddy. He reads a few verses, asks the kids what they think it means and asks for life application of that verse. Then we sing a few songs and pray before bed. That takes about 10-15 minutes at the most and that has been a WONDERFUL addition!
When do you feel as though you've actually ACCOMPLISHED all that you need to accomplish?
I would say that I feel as though I have accomplished everything I needed to accomplish if I have homeschooled the kids, done at least 2 loads of laundry, done some everyday chores (dusting, vacuuming, counter tops, general upkeep, etc.), prepared a good meal, had the kids learn life skills of some kind, and basically "worked at home" all day. It varies so greatly what I do each day that I would say that if I felt as though I have been a worker at home, according to Titus 2. I am to be loving my husband, loving my children and being busy at home. If I've done that to the best of my ability, then I've accomplished a lot. However, it can get monotonous and it can feel as though I haven't accomplished much, BUT drudgery is part of motherhood and that's all part of God's perfect plan. See this post! The Proverbs 31 is an ideal woman, accomplishing A LOT. I don't believe that any woman could accomplish all that she did every day, and we need to keep that in mind or we'll drive ourselves crazy! BUT Proverbs 31 is a GREAT outline to use overall!
Any organizing tips or secrets?
Check out these posts:
1. Never leave a room empty-handed. Always return something to its proper place.
2. 30 second rule....If it takes less than 30 seconds to put away, do it immediately!
3. Have pick up time before Daddy gets home and before lunch time!
4. Teach kids to do chores and to pick up as they go (30 second rule with them, as well)
Any tips on how to get the kids to clean up after themselves?
As I've mentioned time and time again, we are big on "chore training". My kids all have chores. We use this age appropriate chore list as a guide. Our kids have chores as soon as they can crawl and they will pass them on to a younger sibling when the younger sibling is ready. The younger sibling will become the "apprentice" and the older becomes the "master or teacher". The younger will watch the older do the chore between 2 and 5 times before they attempt it themselves. Then they move onto doing the chore themselves, with the older one watching and instructing PROPERLY (no bossing allowed...Mommy's listening in). After about 2-5 times of the younger doing the chore under the older's supervision and instruction, the younger will do that chore on their own. From that point on, Mommy checks up on them randomly to see if it was completed properly. If it was not, then Mommy instructs the younger on how to correct it. Of course, age is always factored in.....I don't expect my two year old to wipe the table the way I would. BUT, they should be doing it to the best of their ability.
How old should a child be when they begin having chores?
Our kids start chores as soon as they can crawl, and although it's tedious to Mommy in the beginning, I've found that it pays off BIG TIME in the long run!!!
What does God think about chores? Shouldn't kids just be kids?
Unfortunately, today's society has taught us that life should be easy, kids should be kids, take the easy way out in life, but in all reality I can't find where it says any of that in Scripture. In fact, Scripture says that LEADERS and SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE will work hard! Shouldn't we be training up the future leaders of tomorrow's familys and world?
Using the below Scriptures when teaching children about chores and hard work will mold their spirits now and train them for their futures! This is why we believe that children should regularly contribute to household maintenance.
*Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and never succeed. Proverbs 12:24
*He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment. Proverbs 12:11
*All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23
*Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.Colossians 3:22-24
What are the consequences for not completing chores?
If chores are not completed with a good attitude and without being asked/reminded, they will either have reading/play time deducted, be given extra chores, sent to time out, or in extreme cases - spanked (for direct disobedience/continued poor attitude). This system has worked really well and, honestly, we rarely have an issue with attitudes or chore completion. They know that Daddy and I mean business. They also are used to having chores, because they start doing chores as soon as they can walk. In fact, the older ones are so used to doing their chores and do them with a proper attitude that the younger ones CAN'T WAIT to go into an "apprenticeship" under the older ones to learn the chores! Now, yes, chores get repetitious, but they do get done with correct attitudes and without being told (the majority of the time, anyway - no one's perfect).
I hope this was of some help and an encouragement to you! May you all be WORKERS AT HOME and follow God and His Word in all you do!
Lisa Metzger
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
|
