As
a little girl, I used to keep a diary from time to time. Frequently, I
would skip several days, even months of writing and every time I would
finally write again, I would apologize to my diary. Perhaps, I was
really apologizing to myself for not being more consistent. I'm still
like this in many ways. I am one to begin a project and either forget
about it and never finish or I simply come back to it much later. This
is one area where I wish I could improve. As a mom with many children,
it is so easy to leave many unfinished projects. Prioritizing which
ones are the most important is also a challenge.
One of
my newer projects that I've begun is writing a book. A little
presumptuous? Maybe, but I am excited about it. I have already learned
so much as I've read, researched and spent time putting my thoughts to
paper, or rather in a document on the computer. I have always enjoyed
writing. I've always been able to express myself much better in writing
than in talking. Don't get me wrong. I love to talk to people, but
many times the words are just not there for what I really want to say.
At other times, I've had the opportunity of finding out what my shoe
leather tastes like. In writing, I am much more careful in what I
choose to say. I have more time to think before I write. Perhaps, I
should practice being careful in what I say when speaking to people,
especially my own family.
So, where was I going? See
what I mean. I am a very distracted person. "Squirrel!" This is why
finishing things I start is a challenge. This is why deciding what the
most important priorities are and sticking to them can be so difficult.
Right now, I am looking at a huge pile of ironing that I've been
neglecting. Of course, I did do some laundry this morning, so that
counts. There are countless things that need to be done around my home,
not to mention getting back into the routine of home schooling, but
what are the most important things? When we try to break it down to the
most important things, we need to remember what God desires. We can do
many good things, but maybe we aren't focusing on the best things.
As
a Christian, the most important priority is drawing closer to the
Lord. Spending time in His Word, talking to Him, listening to Him, and
worshipping Him are the ways in which we can grow in our walk with Him.
I wish I had hours to simply focus on Him, but even though I can't do
all of these things as much as I would like, I can draw closer to Him
throughout the day. During whatever menial tasks I am engaged in at the
moment, I can pray, I can worship, I can recall Scripture. I find that
my mind can be such a battlefield. Fear, worry and complaining so
easily invade my thoughts each day. These things do not honor God.
Following the Lord is the hardest thing in life because we are
constantly battling self. Even in prayer, I battle these things. My
prayers can sometimes sound like a huge gripe session or many times, I
am so distracted that I'm only thinking of what I need to do after I'm
done talking with the Lord. I need His help in prayer. Only He knows
what I truly need and only He can quiet my soul when everything else
seems to be competing for my attention.
As a wife, my
husband needs to be my next priority. All too often, I only see the
urgent needs of the children or my house that I forget him. He needs an
encouraging word, a loving touch, tasks done without complaining and
even interrupting my own schedule to let him know that he is important
to me. It is much easier to roll my eyes or get irritated when I see he
has needs, but when I die to myself and to my own agenda, my husband is
blessed and God is glorified. Now, there are times that other needs
arise, pressing needs. You know, like a fire on the stove or kids
hanging off of the walls. That's when Hubby has to take a backseat
temporarily, but most of the time he is to come after God. That's just
how it's supposed to work.
As a Mommy, my children are next in
line. Now obviously, they have some very visible needs. Feeding them,
keeping little ones clean, enforcing bedtimes and even keeping the house
clean are needs that our children have. Then there are the not so
visible needs like comforting them, reassuring them, listening to their
hopes and dreams and most importantly their need to know their Creator.
This need is in all of us, but as parents, we have the awesome
privilege and responsibility to direct our children to their loving
Creator. They are watching us as we pray, as we worship and as we
handle different situations that arise. I tremble at the thought that I
have such a direct influence on eight little lives in our home. I
thank the Lord everyday that even though I fail, that He can use me to
point them to Him.
As I think about our next priorities, I
realize that this is where great discernment is needed. Our neighbors,
whether they be next door to us, those we worship with, those in our
communities or even people throughout our country or around the world
should be after our families. Our brothers and sisters in Christ need
to be encouraged. Our next door neighbor may need a meal. Those that
need Christ need to hear the Gospel and need to see it being lived out
in our lives. The hungry need fed. The persecuted Church needs our
prayers. There are so many ways that we as Christians can reach out and
bring glory to God. I said that great discernment is needed for a
couple of reasons. Sometimes in our zealous tendencies to "make a
difference" in this world, we forget our first priorities. Yes, I need
to love my neighbor and be a living testimony for the Lord, but if my
own relationship with the Lord, with my husband or my children fail,
then these great intentions for God amount to nothing. As home school
moms, we can tend to be so busy outside the home, running our little
darlings to educational experiences or even giving of our time to help
those in the community that our homes actually suffer. Our husband's
and our children's needs can be put on the back burner. Our houses will
be ones of disorder which leads to frustration for its occupants. Yes,
I mean that we really should clean our homes from time to time! On the
flip side, when we hold to our schedules so religiously that there is
no breathing room for anyone else, then we are wrong. Our children need
to see that there are others in this world besides themselves and Mom's
precious schedule. Sometimes, a gift of bread to a neighbor or
welcoming an unexpected visitor into our home is more important than
when we accomplish our math or English lessons. We must be sensitive to
the Lord's leading in all of these things.
Have you noticed
where self has been placed? Yes, last. This is not an admonition to
false humility. Nor is it a chance for me to say, "See how humble I
am?" Of course, we must take care of ourselves, physically, mentally
and all of the other "lys" that follow, but our Lord is always first,
our husbands second, our children third and others fourth. We cannot
come before them. I have not gotten a hold of this yet. As I have
said, the battle with self is fierce, but we must recognize where our
place is. Remember, in James 4:6, it says, "God is opposed to the
proud, but gives grace to the humble". And, in Philippians 2:3, "Do
nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind
regard one another as more important than yourselves". We are reminded
from Scripture again and again that God is to get all of the glory for
everything and that we are to die daily to ourselves and our own
ambitions. We hear from the world and even other Christians how we need
to take care of ourselves. I get it all of the time when folks find
out about our large family, which doesn't really seem that large to me.
"Oh, Honey. You need to take some time for yourself!" There's also
been a focus on physical health that has crept into Christianity. We
hear it all of the time from the world. Trying to stay young and living
long lives have been idolized, but I'm seeing it more and more in the
Church. This will step on some toes, but an almost god-like quality has
been given to things like essential oils, exercise, eating whole foods
and so many other areas. I am not saying these things are bad, but we
need to be so cautious that we remember our quest is not to live
healthier physical lives, but to be renewed in our minds by the power of
the Holy Spirit. So much time is given to getting back to a healthier
lifestyle, but not much time is given to the Lord. News flash! We are
dying. Our bodies are just a shell for our eternal souls and I desire
so much to devote my attention towards the eternal and not the
temporal. It all goes back once again to priorities. What's important
to you? If good health is your god, than you are sinning. If keeping
everything perfectly organized is your god, stop it. If your children
or your husband come before God, you are wrong. We need to get on our
knees and repent of our idols. We need to repent when our priorities
are out of whack and when we have forgotten what is really important.
So,
I have finished writing this blog post. Wow. I finished something!
Seriously, writing today has been a good reminder to me of what my
priorities should be. May God help me to live it. I long for Him to be
my highest priority. I want to love my husband, my children and my
neighbors with the love of Christ. May God be praised above all things. Soli Deo Gloria!
"Therefore
I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a
living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual
service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the
will of God is. That which is good and acceptable and perfect".
Romans 12:1-2
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