A Hard Truth for the Moms

The highlight of every modern woman's life...

The fully planned calendar.

Hmm...
 

I did an in-depth study of Titus 2 women recently and learned something new.


Titus 2:4-5
 ⁴That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
 ⁵To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. 

"Keepers at home" originates from the Greek oikouros. This is a compound word from oikos- house, household, family; and ouros- a guard, be “ware”, guardian, a watcher, a warden. 

 We are meant to make our home our NUMERO UNO PRIORITY. In our husband's absense, we are to watch over it just as he would. Can we do that if we are always over at friend's houses, chatting and gossiping? How about endless playdates? I'm pretty sure they didn't have extra-curricular activities back then either. Every note in every study I'm reading only has the exception: Whenever they are not called out by works of necessity, piety, and mercy.

Now, don't get your panties in a wad yet. I DO think our children need some socializing (though I'm sure our definitions are a little different). But if we're choosing quantity over quality, something is amiss.  A balance should be made here - but with the home as the PRIORITY.


Do you really believe that any home could flourish if it's keeper is not in it?



Here is another gem in Timothy on keeping the house as well...

1 Tim 5:14  
  ¹⁴I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house (oikodespotein), give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

Oikos , meaning “house” and depostes, meaning "master" unite to form the word oikodespotes. Now the Apostle Paul makes use of a verb corresponding to this noun oikodespotes, namely, “to master the house,” oikodespotein. He says, 1 Timothy 5:14, “I will that the younger women marry, bear children, oikodespotein, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.” The woman has been appointed master over the home. (loosely taken from Katherine Bushnell's study)

Does this mean that a woman is free to master over those IN the house? Nope. Sorry, ladies.

I like to think that this means I have free reign over choosing wall colors and picking out rugs. (shh. don't tell my husband I said that... he likes to have a say in me not getting to "artsy")

What it may ACTUALLY mean, is that we are the Managers. Not the owners or CEO... but the down-in-the-dirt MANAGERS.


We wake up every morning (no off time for us) and punch in as on duty, the second our feet hit the floor. This is our paid-for-by-God sunrise-to-sunset JOB. 

We wipe noses, wash dishes, fold laundry, prepare meals, push swings, teach math, vacuum carpets, spoon baby food, clip coupons, potty train, break up fights... and it's all right there in the job description.  

And I thank God every day that there aren't any Powerpoint slides. = )

I've recently discovered that, if I put tennis shoes on in the house, I actually feel more like getting everything done. I suppose that's akin to people putting on a uniform or suit to go to work. Just a side note.

Welcome to your first day at work...

Today is the Day...

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately where people are complaining.

It's SOOOOO easy to complain.

I know, because I'm in that boat too.

I'm tired. The kids are getting into everything. The baby won't stop crying. I have appointments to make. The house won't stay clean. We don't have enough money for new glasses. I can't get my bible study in. The laundry piles are eating me alive!!! 

That's not hard at all. I typed those in about two seconds.

It's even more easy to let the complaints swallow you whole and sink down into the mire of just trying to survive each day. (I'm really picturing the house collapse around me and sink down into the ground)


I was getting swallowed alive by the monotony and the endless struggle I have in racing towards my pillow.

So God started leaving me clues on how to climb out.

First, our pastor talked about Christ's 1000 year reign and how we wouldn't have to struggle with our flesh anymore - it really got me to thinking about how I'm struggling directly against my flesh and the devil every single day.

Then I started coming across verses about my days.


Colossians 4:5 (KJV) Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. (seizing every opportunity)


Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. (the song has been on my mind as well)


James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

 We have only been given ONE life to live. And as Christians, we should WANT (besides being required) to live it FOR God. 


All we have is today. Tomorrow is not a certainty (though eternity is). 


If I don't live this very second for Christ, I can never get it back to do over. All of my seconds before this that were wasted on me are gone now. When I was googling this morning, I was NOT spending time with my kids.

The dishes don't matter. (trust me on this one)

Worrying won't get me anywhere.

What I can do is bring glory to God with my actions.


A little less time on the computer. A little more play time with my children.

A little less time trying to keep the house clean (it just aint gonna stay that way). A little more time praying and reading God's Word.

A little less time watching tv. A little more time teaching my daughters some life skills.

See a pattern here?

OMG, You $*!#%!!!

Sorry for the title : )


Many Christians believe that the bible holds no guidance on using "bad words."

In fact, it's all over the bible!


I've always heard that cursing makes you look unintelligent... how true that is! Our culture has begun losing words and replacing them with the most debase and immoral form of communication known to man.



Just a funny video. I do not endorse replacing foul words with not-as-foul. The emotion is still there.

Let's start with Matthew 5:22 "... and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca (lit. vain fellow or empty head), shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool (moros, lit. stupid), shall be in danger of hell fire."

Bet you didn't think that was cursing, did you? I take this to mean that if we make light of someone, we're in danger of slander... but when we make a malicious, bitter, damning statement, we are in danger of hell ourselves. I do not believe that we can lose our salvation, but I do believe that if you can be so bitter towards your fellow man, there is a chance that you are not saved.

The ten commandments themselves tell us not to take the Lord's name in vain, and yet all over the country (world, even) people are joining pop culture in o.m.g. Did you really think it meant something else? I go to the store and hear Jesus Christ... but not because they're Christian. I hear little kids with their OH GAWD. And apparently now people can order God to damn things. I've gone a step further by trying not to say Oh My GOSH because it's so easy to slip and say God.


Cursing itself (using a profane word as an exclamation), in my humble opinion, gradually wears down the spirit of the person saying it (not to mention the testimony of said person). 


Foul language tears down, destroys, and desecrates the dignity of the person saying it and that of the person it is being used against. Over and over again, the bible refers to the tongue as the culprit... the flesh is our weakness! If you can see that as the truth, then realize that cursing (and the owner thereof) are motivated by SIN.


Bring on the proof!
If you need more than this, then you don't really believe that God governs your life... I do recall that there need be only two-three illustrations for it to be considered fact, yes?

Psalms 10:7 "His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity." (cursing is aligned with liars and cheats!)

Psalms 59:12 "For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak." (again aligned with lying)

Psalms 109:17 "As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him."


1 Peter 2:1 "Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and cries and all evil speakings."

Proverbs 15:4: "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness therein is a breach of the spirit."

Matthew 12:36-37: "I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." 

Luke 6:45 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." (what's in YOUR heart?)

Romans 3:13-18 "¹³Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: ¹⁴Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: ¹⁵Their feet are swift to shed blood: ¹⁶Destruction and misery are in their ways: ¹⁷And the way of peace have they not known: ¹⁸There is no fear of God before their eyes." (look at the kinds of people God is comparing cursers to)

Romans 12:14 "Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not."

Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."

Colossians 3:8 “But now you must put away anger, fury, malice, slander, and obscene language out of your mouths."

2 Cor. 10:10 “For someone will say, "His letters are severe and forceful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.” 

Titus 2:6-8 "⁶Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. ⁷In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, ⁸Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you."

1 Peter 1:15 "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;"
 
1 Peter 3:10 "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:"

James 3:6 "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell."

  James 3:9-12 "⁹Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. ¹⁰Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. ¹¹Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? ¹²Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
There is a way to stop, if you don't know how!

One of the sweetest verses in the bible:

1 Corinthians 10:13 ¹³There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

This is not a step program, it's God's program. Lean on Him and you can do it 

Pray unceasingly

Hide these verses in your heart

Repent immediately when you fall

Praise God for milestones of success in quitting