"She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants." Proverbs 31:15(NIV)
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants." Proverbs 31:15(NIV)
"She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast
for her family and organizing her day." (The Message )
for her family and organizing her day." (The Message )
I am really intimidated by this one. Cooking is such an annoyance to me. My mom was a first class caterer and she is still the most unbelievable cook at age 80(in May). However, she was always a little critical when I tried to cook (sorry mom, you were) so I developed a dislike for cooking. When I got married and then had two hungry boys, I developed my own style of cooking. I kept it very simple and I still do. This is not Biblical advice…just my advice. I keep it very simple! When the boys were young, I had a calendar on the refrigerator that listed the meals for the month. It made shopping easier and the decision was made when it came time for dinner. I cooked things that I knew that my family liked that were easy to make like spaghetti or oven baked chicken. Today the main, main reason that I keep it simple is the most important…weight management! I struggle with my weight and always will. However, I am more successful when our meals are kept to a routine of steamed vegetables, grilled meal, stir fry, all vegetable meals (Mark’s favorite night)…you get the picture. I am going to go out on a limb and say this…when the world is eating fast foods and huge portions, run the other way. Have a discerning heart in what to cook. God certainly cares about what we eat!!!
To prepare for the day is like getting
yourself prepared for any event. I know women whose middle name is
"prepare." They can prepare for a dinner party, a job, a family
vacation, even a marathon. They are the type of woman whose gift is being able
to think through all of the things that they will encounter and plan for it.
They do not get "caught off guard" very often. This kind of person
intimidates me and I think this is one reason why women think they can never
achieve the high standards of Proverbs 31.
However, I am thinking that this Proverbs woman prepares in a different way. To prepare for a successful day means to start it by admitting that you are not capable of handling all the day will hold. We are not able to physically, emotionally or spiritually handle everything all the time. Many years back, God showed grace and mercy to me by getting me to see the importance of spending time each morning in the Word and in prayer. He prepares me by getting me to depend on Him and not myself to handle the day.
However, I am thinking that this Proverbs woman prepares in a different way. To prepare for a successful day means to start it by admitting that you are not capable of handling all the day will hold. We are not able to physically, emotionally or spiritually handle everything all the time. Many years back, God showed grace and mercy to me by getting me to see the importance of spending time each morning in the Word and in prayer. He prepares me by getting me to depend on Him and not myself to handle the day.
Many women get caught up thinking that if
they get up earlier, work harder, and complete a checklist that they can be
prepared for anything. This is simply not true. Satan would have us believe
that we can handle life with little or no prayer, but loads of hard work and
confidence. So when we cannot seem to handle the meals, the shopping, and the
cleaning …Satan accuses us of not being good enough. Well, we are not good
enough. This is why Christ died for us.
Start the day on your knees, acknowledging that you need Him to be the woman you need to be today. I wanted to turn this around and give help on how to organize your time, your priorities, your meals, etc. But every time I would think about it, I felt like the Lord stopped me from doing that. Preparing ourselves for the day is really about preparing our hearts to listen, to discern the Holy Spirit’s voice, to be obedient if He calls you off-task to do something different. Being off-task would not be allowed on some of our checklists. I am not saying that this gives us permission to be lazy all day and be unprepared to run our household. On the contrary, God would not lead us to do that if our desires line up with His. Start the day with the exquisite pleasure of spending time with your heavenly Father who knows what you will face today and will help you prepare for it.
Start the day on your knees, acknowledging that you need Him to be the woman you need to be today. I wanted to turn this around and give help on how to organize your time, your priorities, your meals, etc. But every time I would think about it, I felt like the Lord stopped me from doing that. Preparing ourselves for the day is really about preparing our hearts to listen, to discern the Holy Spirit’s voice, to be obedient if He calls you off-task to do something different. Being off-task would not be allowed on some of our checklists. I am not saying that this gives us permission to be lazy all day and be unprepared to run our household. On the contrary, God would not lead us to do that if our desires line up with His. Start the day with the exquisite pleasure of spending time with your heavenly Father who knows what you will face today and will help you prepare for it.
P.S. I feel compelled to add to this topic. The saints that go unnoticed in this area are the single moms or dads. If you are in this category, my heart goes out to you. I sat here for so long, trying to find words to bring strength. I wanted to bring encouragement. Wow, I am inadequate. I am thankful that God is adequate to meet EVERY need that you have. Do not, even for a second, allow Satan to lie to you and tell you that you just cannot do this without a mate. Let finding a mate be a separate category for prayer, not the answer to the your need of help with running your household.
