As I continue my struggle to become a better wife to Troy and steward of the blessings that the Lord has given me I have to share the wonderful article that my friend Mindy sent to me today. I'm sure that you'll find it helpful at least a little bit even if you are one of those rare and perfect June Cleaver type moms ( 'kay I don't personally know any of those but I've been told and pinky sworn to that they really do exist).
I am finding myself falling deeper and deeper into conviction every time I turn back to read a bit more of it and study it out better. It is just so easy to procrastinate those things that we really could or should be doing for our families for no other reason than that we think we can. Me being the perfect little hillbilly slob I know full well that I don't have a minute to sit and piddle away during the day lest the mess in the kitchen attack the livingroom and then attempt to conquer the rest of the house!! I needed the reminder that I have plenty to do and (even better) plenty of good reason to just do it!
Even just all the day to day drudgery type stuff aside there is no reason at all for a Christian mother to ever sit around thinking that she has nothing to do. The more of this article I read the more I question my priorities. I tagged a few of my thoughts into the article as I read and got my noodle stirred and my heart pricked. Alright, that's enough of my rattlin and ramblin......... read away
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What’s a Christian Mother To Do All Day?
Let’s say that you are a Christian mother. For some reason your children are not home. They are sent to school. You are home alone, what next? Stare at the walls? Right about now comes the temptation to go out and get a job, but there are so many higher and nobler causes that a woman can pursue than to get a job and serve money.
Even with my kids at home there are plenty of times I can think of that I sat here and thought "maybe I should get a job". The real truth be told it is easier to have a full time job working outside of the home with that 40 hour a week reason to neglect what you have than it is to stay where the Lord says you belong doing what honors and glorifies Him. Like the article says above though....remember who it is you serve!!
Here are 42 things a mother can do at home. Can you think of more?
1. Read the Bible for one hour a day. Do you read the Bible everyday now? At this rate you can read through the Bible two to three times a year. Mary “sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard His Word.” Luke 10:39
**I wish I could honestly say that I read the Bible for an hour a day just for me on my own, but the truth of it is that somedays the only time I get in the Bible for any length of time at all is during the kids school time while we are all reading together. I am faithful for about 15 minutes a day on my own but that's it : (
2. Pray for at least one hour in private to God. Do you pray everyday now? See your Pastor for church prayer lists, names of members, etc. Peter and John went up to the Temple for “the hour of prayer.” in Acts 3:1. Anna, the prophetess , “served God with fastings and prayers night and day.” in Luke 2:37b. Jesus asked, “What, could ye not watch with me one hour?” in Matthew 26:40. David said, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.” in Psalm 55:17. Daniel “kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God…” in Daniel 6:10. Ladies, while you are praying everyday, beg God to bless your working husband, to provide your finances, to give you miracles of provision, to meet all your needs. You will be amazed at what God will do. Some promises to use when you pray:
Jeremiah. 33:3 “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”Psalms 37:25 “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”
** I definitely need to spend more time in prayer....
3. Fasting one day a week. Do you fast often? Jesus said, “When ye fast…” in Matthew 6:16, not “If ye fast….” Anna “served God with fastings …” in Luke 2:37b. “Defraud ye not one the other (from sexual relationships), except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency (lack of self control)” 1 Corinthians 7:5.
** Anyone that has seen my ever increasing self knows that I am sorely lacking in this area.
4. Memorize Scriptures. Do you memorize Scriptures now? “Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Psalms 119:11. Entire chapters could be memorized and prove beneficial to all aspects of your Christian life if you’ll do a little each day.
**And yet something else to work on.
5. Go out soulwinning one or two times a week with a partner for three hours at a time. Do you go out soulwinning now? “And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him for the saying of the woman …” John 4:39. It is feasible that God could use you to reach a hundred souls in one year. Remember: One soul is worth more than all the money you could earn in the world. (Mark 8:36; Job 27:8).
This I can honestly say I am working at but not for 3 hours at a time.
6. Meet at church with other ladies once a week for prayer meeting. Do you attend prayer meeting right now? “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, WITH THE WOMEN..” Acts 1:14.
7. Prepare creative and exciting devotions for your children. Do you have devotions with your children daily? “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also” 2 Timothy 1:5. “And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:15.
**We do have several kinds of devotions but spend most of our time studying for "school" every day.
8. Serve in a ministry in the local church or several ministries. Do you serve in a ministry right now? Use time during your day to prepare so that when your ministering time comes it will be your best for Jesus. “… whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31.
9. Homeschool your children. Do you homeschool? The rearing of children is the foremost job of a mother. “I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house…” I Timothy 5:14. Women are to be the guides of the house. It is quite clear in the Word. It has been our experience, after eight years of homeschooling that God knows best. It is the only way to fulfill the directive of Deuteronomy 6:5-7, “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
I am convinced that any mother who spends 20 to 40 hours a week out in the work place could use that same energy and teach her children at home successfully at about 1/8 of the cost of Christian School tuition ($240 per child per year for us for quality school curriculum). It would be a cost of about $5.00 per week per child to take the child out of the public school, plus the mother relearns all the subjects as her child learns at his or her own pace. “To teach is to learn twice.” It has also been my experience as a Pastor that a child’s peers are the worst group for your children to be around all the time. Your children will invariably want to live and act and dress like them and you as parents will no longer be the greatest influence in their lives. Think about it. You can homeschool if you try.
At least I'm actually showing improvement somewhere!
10. Read a good Christian book. Do you read good Christian books? The older Christian authors are better than modern books. Reading books for education in the things of the Lord is more important than reading books just for entertainment. All book reading should be after the reading and studying of the Word of God.
Right now I'm reading "Hinds Feet on High Places" ....it's really good. Like my friend Mindy I had a horribly hard time giving up the popular fiction and just giving my reading time to good books and the Bible, but thankfully the Lord helped me get over that hurdle.
11. Minister to Senior Citizens and Shut-Ins. Do you minister to the elderly or handicapped? “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27. Can you help clean houses, mow grass, rake yards, wash windows, cook dinners? These things are important to God. Psalms 68:5 “A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.”
I know I need to do more in this area. When the kids were younger we routinely visited the elderly shut ins in our tiny little town and took them goodies and helped them with the things that they couldn't do around the house. It was something that we all enjoyed and still really miss about that town.
12. Take a nap. Be refreshed physically so you can give your energy to your Lord, husband, and children. These are the priorities of a Christian mother. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take care of your body which is the Temple of the Holy Ghost. Take a nap! Get some rest!
**Too bad there isn't a scripture reference for this one.....I would take that as permission and actually schedule it in!!
13. Prepare yourself and the house for your husband’s return each day as though a king were returning, and the children were princes and princesses.
14. Learn how to type.
15. Learn how to work with computers. Develop and update basic skills of a trade to prepare yourself in case you have to work in the event your husband dies or is disabled.
16. Learn a musical instrument. You’d be amazed at what you could do if you put your mind to it. Most of our abilities or talents have yet to be discovered because we are too busy to discover them.
I am the only person in my family who doesn't play anything!! My super talented hubby and kids are after me all the time to learn to play anything........sigh.....
17. Learn to crochet, sew, do crafts, paint, make dresses, etc.
I'm trying hard on this one too.......I actually have some plans for things to be making as soon as I get a chance.
18. Write letters to missionaries. Currently these lonely people receive almost no correspondence from our church except the check we send them each month. Your letter telling them about our church and what the Lord is doing in your life will bless their hearts. Your encouragement might be the tool God uses to keep them from quitting and cause them to stay on the field.
This is actually great fun to do with your kids as a geography assignment and it fits in many other "school" studies too. It's something that our family has done for years and we really enjoy it!
19. Write to people in the community inviting them to church.
better yet....go see them and invite them to church!!
20. Write to prisoners. Especially lady prisoners.
I can't see myself writing to a total stranger that is in prison. I'm not saying that someone else shouldn't just that for me it is something that I just can't wrap my head around.
21. Write to soldiers.
I would love to do this more......
22. Write letters, postcards of encouragement to those who are down.
We are working on this one........
23. Write letters, postcards to those who are up, so they’ll stay up.
I really need to get better at setting aside time to do all this writing......
24. Visit the sick in hospitals.
I should really really get better about this......so far I don't even know where a hospital is near here!
25. Visit the nursing home.
I could do more there too......sigh.....
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See what I mean? I'll post the other half as soon as I get done vacuuming the ceiling fans and the walls.....my house is terribly dusty!
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