Managing Our Time, Family and Home

Wordful Wednesday: Proverbs 31: 27 “She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”


We are to week 19 of our Proverbs 31 woman series and today’s verse sums her up! She does not eat the bread of idleness! We have seen her diligence in every aspect of life – from caring for her husband, children, servants and even the poor. We’ve watched her rise early, stay up late, plant a vineyard, sew her own clothes, her family’s clothing, the tapestries and beddings! And the cherry on top of all of this woman’s work is excellence!

The Proverbs 31 woman knew that homemaking was her God given role and she OWNED it! She didn’t idly sit by and let the clutter and laundry pile up! She was busy embracing her highcalling. She was busy managing her time, family and home well!

Proverbs 31:27 says:
1. “She watches”this means her eyes are fixed on her own family as her first priority. She’s not watching what others are doing. She’s not watching Oprah or the status updates on facebook. She’s watching closely her home and the needs that are there.

2. What does she watch over? “the affairs (or ways)” What are your family’s ways? What are their habits and routines? Are they healthy? Are they glorifying to God? Is everyone getting their rest, getting time in the Word of God, getting enough tender listening time, love and affection, enough exercise and healthy food? What are your family’s ways? You shape the ways of the home by your influence.

3. Whose ways does she watch? her householdLet me reiterate -she is thinking of her household first. She is not thinking about pleasing her boss, pleasing her mother-in-law, or meddling in other’s business. She is focused on her household because she understands and embraces the powerful role she plays in the home.

And then the verse ends with a kicker! “She does not eat the bread of idleness”. This statement is so powerful. The Proverbs 31 woman knows how to manage her time, family and home! As she resists idleness, she embraces her work and she serves her family.

Do you see how irreplaceable she is in this home? She is the one who is making everything run smoothly! It is her watchful eye and her diligence that makes her home a pleasant place.
The appearance of your home doesn’t lie. It is very clear to the eye when a home has been neglected. And I am convicted by my own post today.

I want to encourage you, do not grow idle in your mundane tasks. Manage your time, family and home well. Mundane tasks are the hidden treasure to creating a home that is a haven. Watch over the ways of your family. Embrace this hidden treasure as the Proverbs 31 woman did and you too will be blessed!

Walk with the King!

I am participating in Seven Clown Circus Wordful Wednesday and 5 Minutes for Mom Wordless Wednesday.

34 Comments

  1. Awesome post! Now that I'm done reading it…I have things to take care of, so….logging off. (hahahaha)

  2. God knew that I needed to hear this today! I am falling into the trap of laziness and complacency! I will get moving today!!!

  3. I'm a new reader to your blog, but I have loved this series! I think I have read through most of the previous posts. They are always as convicting and encouraging as this one!

    Thank you so much for allowing God to use you to bless so many women (and therefore their families!)

    Liz

  4. Great encouragement. I often remind myself, when I’m doing the mundane talks (laundry, dishes, cleaning)…that I’m making a home.
    Holly
    Kyiv

  5. Thank you so much for this Post !! I NEEDED to here that this morning! I am a Stay at Home Mommy to 3 little precious ones and sometimes it gets hard to stay on task. I also do hair at home and that gets hard to fit everything in so I needed to be reminded that my family and home comes first before the other things. We are praying to give up a few things in order to give us some "room" in our budget will you pray with us that God directs us to what to give up! I need to be more diligent in my housework and not grow weary when things seem like the i'm just doing the same things over and over again! Thanks again for this great post!
    Blessings,
    Stacey

  6. I think it's good to remember for whom we are doing these things (doing them for our families and doing them unto the Lord) – and not let them become an end in themselves or an obsession.

  7. "She's not watching Oprah or the status updates on facebook."

    AHA HA HA!!!

    Thank you for your practical hope-filled words in your Prov 31 posts. I am excited because I've been working on an Elizabeth George study of Prov 31 and I am just getting done with v. 26 and am almost caught up with your series. It's been fun and enlightening to work through the study and remember your insights from the blog. 🙂

  8. Courtney,

    I just love how you go about instructing us. You tell us what the Bible says, but at the same time, you are honest with us enough to make us feel like you aren't barking orders at us. I used to follow a blog that basically acted as if the author was holier than thou about what she posted and every time I would fail in an area, I felt like there was something wrong with me. I recently found your blog a month or so ago….I followed her's for a few years.

    God has been working with me daily on getting each layer of bondage off of me just from this woman's blog!

    When it comes to cleaning…I have started Flylady again, after praying to God about how much I hate cleaning. Well I woke up this morning looking forward to doing laundry…"a load a day keeps the chaos away" as the Flylady says lol!!

    You are such an encourager! I thank God for your blog!!!

  9. Thank you for posting this! Easy to get caught up with others things, but definitely need to keep my nose to the grind.

  10. Thank you for such encouraging words. I'm a working mom so I REALLY have to organize my time well so that my household runs smoothly. The time that I do get to spend in my home with my family means so much to me bc I have to spend so much time away from it! Although it makes me sad sometimes, I know that God has a plan for me and I'm right where He wants me! Since I am new to your blog, I am going to have to go back and read your series on Proverbs 31! Great post!

  11. Many of my friends does work and they don't understand what's my job!!!!
    My job is to take care of my family, pray god and nothing else.
    Thanks for sharing this words with us.
    God bless you all.
    Kisses from France

  12. Thank you for this Courtney. I really needed this…Let's pray for a clean house today!!

  13. Thanks for another great post. I've really enjoyed this entire series. Your insights and the pictures you have added to each post bring these familiar scriptures new life and remind us that each one of these attributes and qualities are timeless. You have given modern day examples to let us see how we can walk out these scriptures in everyday life –the living word!! Thanks again!

  14. Oh Courtney! This post resembles me! My picture should be posted on the womans shoulder in that cartoon!

    Thank God for speaking through you to reinforce this for those like me who really need to get off our bottoms and get our priorities straight!

  15. Hi Courtney,

    Your blog has been inspiring me for some time now but this one hit the nail on the head!

    I generally believe this statement is true:
    "The appearance of your home doesn't lie."

    However, as a homeschooling mom of 7, I also have to remember that MY home will not look like other people's who have only 2 or 3 kids and those kids go to school all day!

    I have to be careful not to compare myself. Most people do not have 3 to 4 loads of laundry every day! And if I have been especially busy a few days, sometimes it may look a little messier than I wish it to…and to someone from the outside who is not used to a big family, the appearance may not be telling them what they really think it's telling them:)

    I do love that statement though. I know when my homes appearance is telling me that I've been too idle though.

    Excellent post:)

  16. I have really been convicted since learning about your blog! I have been very complacent, and lazy…I have 3 very young children and have used the excuses too long. I started on Mon. taking control. First thing in the morning I turn the computer completely off until after the kids are down for their naps. I am teaching the kids how to clean, in the mean time my house is getting much more organized. We are also having a Bible story time and I am feeling much more complete.
    I am thanking God that he brought such a wonderful example to me! Thank you for your wonderful testimony!

  17. I had to laugh at the truth of that cartoon! The Lord gave me a victory over the lure of the computer this morning.

    Thank you for your words of encouragement.

  18. I just found your blog and must say I've been feeling pretty convicted in this area lately. I've been spending way too much time doing "nothing" while my kids nap.

  19. I feel like this is typically true. A stay at home mom should take care of her house and her household. I also think that we need to extend the same compassion to ourselves as we would any other women because there’s those days that the curtains just need to be shut! I am homeschooling my two kids, and I have been worried about my ill father. I am lucky to have an understanding husband, when things aren’t “perfect” around the house he looks the other way, he knows I’m going through some things. We all have our “moments” don’t we ladies? & I think it can be very damaging if we are more harsh on ourselves than any other woman out there! Don’t be lazy-but be reasonable!

  20. my daughter and i live 120 miles apart it is difficult to find time in her work schedule to be able to come here and spend some time with mom. she was able to recently make a visit and stayed the weekend with us. my house was a wreck when she left because i wanted to spend as much time with her as i could. when i closed the door behind her and walked into the cluttered living room i stood there a minute smiling with tears running down my cheeks. That site brought back a sweet but important message my dad once said to my mom when i was just a little girl that i didnt understand and was too young to question. I was born on January 25 and ever since i can remember the only people who were able to ever make it to my birthday parties were my mom dad and brother. it seemed like the biggest blizzard always hit right on my birthday. I know now how blessed i was to have a mom like i did. she knew i was sad that i always had to party with the only people able to be there. but somehow she made my day so special from morning to night. so it was after one of those birthday parties full of board games that they let me win and a delicious supper and as always my favorite cake that only i really liked (yeah) that my dad put my brother and i to bed walked back out into our living room and said to my mother: “geeze it looks like someone actually lives here”. together they laughed and cleaned up and i stayed awake and listened to them. my pride for my mom even that young as my dad praised his proverbs 31 wife. so it was that moment in my memory that made me leave all that clutter for an hour or two as i sat and prayed to God for the wonderful daughter he put in my life and to not be so concerned about a bit of clutter once in a while. But an hour or two was all i gave it. Althought my home is now back in order i will now try to always remember the words of my father when my daughter comes to visit. Courtney, you are a true inspiration in my life.

  21. Just recently coming across this post and it has truly touched me. I’d been feeling overwhelmed by household duties and caring for kids during this summer break. I started to feel myself slacking off and falling into a bit of a funk about it. I knew that I was affected by my never ending laundry pile, but I couldn’t make any changes. Therefore, I started doing a virtuous woman study and ran across this. Truly looking forward to catching up on all your posts. Thanks for the inspiration and many blessings to you!

  22. Outstanding! Planning ahead, stewarding all the household’s resources, attending to every member of the household: all these are reflections of her understanding that her behavior and her household are a reflection on her husband.

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