Lies Women Believe, Chapter 5

This chapter is tough.  There are only 3 lies addressed in this chapter, and all three seem to point the opposite direction of where society is today.  And you know what?  I am ok with that!  I WANT to point the opposite direction.  Sometimes I feel like the opposite direction from where we are today is a GOOD thing, especially when it comes to families and faith.  However, some areas are just fine not going back to where they once were.  Areas of race can keep progressing forward, for I know we still have far to go in that regard!

 

Lie #18:  I don’t have time to do everything I’m supposed to do.

Truth #18:  Oh how I feel this one!  Ironically, I am a work-from-home mom now, and only have to work 10-12 hours a week.  I still feel like I am unable to get it all done!  Cleaning, entertaining my son (who is 14 months old on Friday!), cooking, grocery shopping…I feel like I have more distractions now than I did when I was teaching!  Of course, I didn’t have a child then.

Truth is, there is time to do everything that GOD wants me to do; and what God wants me to do is not watch Murder, She Wrote all day (and yes, I did watch all 12 seasons in their entirety on Netflix…).  So the key to getting things done is to prioritize the To-Do list.  Luke 10:38-42 shows us some of this prioritization: Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”  Philippians 4:6-8 reminds us also, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

So what is it God would have me accomplish each day?

• Time with Him
• Time with my husband and son
• 2-3 hours of “work” time with my job.  Whether that is at the office or at home, that is up to me.  I have 12 hours a week to divide as I need to.  So, I need to pray and communicate with my coworkers on the “To-Do” list, prioritize that list, and tackle it.  There are specific things that NEED to be done each week, and then a running list of things that need to be done by July 1.  Then we’ll create a list of what needs to be done by December.
• House-cleaning and cooking, putting away laundry, etc.
• Preparing for Sunday mornings.  I have been writing children’s devotions for our small church, so that needs to be done by Saturday night each week.  Also, some weeks I teach the Sunday School lesson, so I need to prepare that.  Song sheets need to be printed also.   Our weekly leadership meetings are a part of my weekly routine also.
• Tutoring:  I tutor one young man from church, and I am looking to tutor others as well.  I am just starting my own tutoring business, as you saw from a previous post.  My business cards came today!  🙂

 

Lie #19:  I can make it without consistent time in the Word and prayer.

Truth #19:  Honestly, every time I try to make it on my own, life gets too crazy and I get stuck in depression and anxiety!  I am weak.  I am prideful.  And pride always comes before the fall.  I am quickly learning that everything I have, every hour I work, every paycheck we receive, every gift we get from people around us is completely from the Lord.  My God knows what He is doing, and I need to spend time with Him so that I follow the path He has set before my husband and me. Proverbs 2 is full of verses about wisdom and seeking Wisdom from the Lord.  I also find myself drawn to the book of James, specifically chapter 1, verses 5-7:  “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord…”  Then there is my life verse, 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10, “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

 

Lie #20:  A career outside the home is more valuable and fulfilling than being a wife and mother.

Truth #20:   After my son was born, I did go back to work after my 6-week maternity leave.  Do you know what happened my first day back to work?  I cried!  I came home from work, embraced my newborn baby, and cried some more!  It was such a struggle to finish the school year!  Within a month of being back to work, I realized I truly wanted to be home with him!  Do you know how much daycare costs???  Thankfully, we were paying between $100-150 a week.  That was 1 of my 2 paychecks each month.  Add in the cost of gas, lunches in the school cafeteria, mileage on my car and I pretty much had no paycheck.  Why on earth did I push myself to work 70 hours a week teaching and grading papers, tutoring students, etc., just to pay for someone to watch my son all day?  (So very thankful that the someone who watched Zander was my aunt and cousins!)  So my husband and I prayed about it.  I resigned effective at the end of the school year.

And I don’t regret it.  The Lord provided this 12-hour a week position where only 4-6 of those hours are at the office, and I can bring Zander with me if I need to.  And guess what?  I am making the same amount each month as I was teaching full time!  Talk about provision!  I am SO thankful to the Lord for providing this position!  I am learning to balance my time between housework, Zander, and paid work.  I am so thankful!

My husband constantly refers to “Proverbs 31 Woman” with me.  I am not there yet, and I know that is my ideal.  The Proverbs 31 Woman is who I strive to be.

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

^10 [d] An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
¹¹ The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
¹² She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
¹³ She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
¹⁴ She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
¹⁵ She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She dresses herself^[e] with strength
and makes her arms strong.
¹⁸ She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹ She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
²⁰ She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
²¹ She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.^[f]
22 She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
²³ Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
²⁵ Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
²⁶ She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
²⁷ She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
³¹ Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.