Thursday, July 15, 2010

Blessing Your Home

I just finished with a Bible study called, "Blessing Your Home" a Proverbs 31 study. It focused on blessing your home and family by keeping things in order and clean in our homes. This study was perfect for me. I was not born with the "home-cleaning" gene that my sister evidently got. It's always been a struggle for me. I'm sure part of it was the fact that I didn't like it, too. Well, it's time to get over that!!

Anyway, back to what I learned. I learned that there's a better way to clean but more than that, I learned there's a better way to think!! There's really a Spiritual way to think of taking care of your home. God wants us to bless our homes and our families by taking care of them in the proper way and with the right attitude!! So much of my problem has always been my attitude toward cleaning, de-cluttering (or not even bringing the clutter into my home in the first place!) and just my view of being a "house wife".

I'm a child of the 60's so I grew up being told by my teachers and the media that being a housewife was being a slave. It was reinforced by images, television programs and other media that being a housewife was to be a nothing. Unfortunately, I didn't have any strong, Christian women in my life to steer me in the correct and Biblical way. I can remember deep in my heart that my only desire was to be a wife and mother, but I was too ashamed to admit that to anyone I knew. Even after I married and was a stay at home wife for a period of time, I was ashamed to admit that I was "just a housewife" because of the looks or comments I would get from other women.

As a result of this, taking care of my home and family became a low priority for me. I also was not taught by my mother how to care for a home. She guess she just thought I would learn by watching, however, I had no idea how to create a plan or a schedule of how or when to do things. I do remember her cleaning one room at a time and having a certain day for doing laundry, which created a mountain of laundry to do all at once. Other than that, I really had no idea and my house showed it.

Through this study I learned that I can get my house de-cluttered once and for all - a little at a time. It's not necessary to de-clutter the whole house in one day. It's not even necessary to de-clutter one room in one day. It's all about taking little bites out and getting things done a little at a time until they are done and kept done! I also learned how to do schedules for myself by figuring out what I need to do for my home. Another wonderful thing I learned that has alluded my poor, little brain for years, is how to make a menu plan. Here's the really sad part - it was really, really easy! So how come I just couldn't figure it out before? I don't know, I'm just so happy to understand and be able to implement it now into my life.

This study helped me Spiritually by bringing me into a right relationship with God through submitting to His will as for my life as a woman. He puts in our hearts the desire to prepare and care for our husbands, children and homes. It's our clear directive from God as to our roles as women. Our first mission is at home to our family. What a relief! It's so wonderful to know what God calls us to do and be. It's comforting to me to know that I am doing what the Lord called me to do in the first place!

Doing this Proverbs 31 study proved to me that the desires of my heart were God's desire for me, too. My desire for a clean, organized and calm home are from the Lord. The exciting part of all this is now I have the tools to put this desire and plan into action!

God bless you ~ Julie

3 comments:

  1. God is so good to give us the desire of our heart. Being a wife, mother and homemaker is a place of honor. I am happy you were so blessed through your study.

    I love being able to stay at home.
    When I fill out paperwork, I list my job as domestic engineer and my employer as God. It always makes me laugh, but it's true. ♥

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  2. This was very insightful. I am not a mother nor a wife yet, but I understand completeley what you are saying and it was interesting how you made the connection.
    Thanks for the blessing:)

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  3. Julie, you are 100% right on! That is the exact purpose of the study and you nailed it perfectly. I am so glad that you were blessed and that you are now looking at your calling as a wife, mom and household manager as the honor and privilege that it truly is, and that you discovered what the Lord had already placed on your heart!

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