Order Or Chaos

I make notes and write down verses as I do a devotion every day. For the past few months I have been studying the role God has for the woman.

Here are my ramblings from today.

1 tim 5:14 I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adverary to speak reproachfully.

The verse just before this shows why Timothy felt the need to write this one.

1 tim 5:13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

This means to me that if I am busy managing my home I won't have time to do all these things. If I stop and think about it the same is true for us as for our children. Left with to much time on their hands, they will find trouble. Just like the teenage boy did yesterday with my fence. He wasn't being supervised, though at 15 he is old enough to know what he did was wrong.

God calls me daily to manage what He has provided for my family.

First off I must realize that God isn't asking me to "feel like" or even to like bing the home manager. But He is calling me to do it.

I must take home management seriously. If I don't take my job at home seriously, I won't take other things seriously that God would have me do. OUCH.

LK 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

As I try to live faithfully to what God has called me to do at home, I am developing the faithfulness I need to follow through on anything else He gives me to do.

1 Cor 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

God has called me to be a steward in my home.

I must teach my children to be faithful to the responsibities they are given also. If they aren't given responsibilities I am failing them in the training I am supposed to be giving them. It is easier especially with younger children to just do it ourselves. But as they do something a few times they will master it, and be more helpful and ready to learn to do more. It is teaching them to be faithful also.

I must act as though God will hold me accountable for my words and actions, but also for the use of my time, because He will!

Some tips for better managing time:

1. Pray and ask the Lord to direct your heart and hands today.

2. Plan - make a list of what needs to be done. If the Lord brings something unexpected into your day, and you know it is of Him, great. If not mark things off as you do them. It will encourage you to keep going. And you will be surprised at how much you get done!

3. Be concerned with today. That is all God asks of us.
Mt 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficent unto the day is the evil thereof.

Ps 118:24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

This was my mom's favorite verse!

4. Time yourself if you are doing something you dislike doing. Give those things 15 minutes of solid work. Set a timer! You will be amazed at how many things we dread doing take less then 15 minutes if we apply ourselves. And if it isn't finished in 15 minutes? well then decide to work on it longer, leave it till later for another 15 minutes, or till tomorrow. You are still 15 minutes closer to having it finished then when you started !

Have you heard the question: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!

5. Do the thing you are dreading on the list first. You will feel so good about having it done it will motivate you to do more. And you won't have to dread it all day and face it when you are tired.

6. Spend 5 minutes at night getting ready for the next day. Do you need to leave tomorrow? Put clothes out tonight. Start your list of things to do tomorrow. Plan you meal for tomorrow and defrost anything you will need.