Children and Chores

Daily Reading: Proverbs 31:10-31

     Yesterday I wasn’t feeling well.  I asked the boys to do their chores and then they could do what they wanted for the rest of the evening.  Besides not feeling well I was absorbed in the computer doing things that could have waited.  Later, as I got ready for bed I realized I had not ate that evening.  As I walked into the kitchen, food fled from my mind.  The dishes weren’t done.  The laundry wasn’t done.  Leftovers clung to the sides of the pan.

      Even after I had asked if their chores had been done they had lied.  They had done what they wanted.  How could I ever get these two teenage boys (almost men) to realize that chores are a part of life that has to be done?  The result was waiting until morning then starting a new day off chastising them, filling the boys with anger, frustration and resistance, planning what punishment would be given when they came home.  The punishments overwhelmed me as I thought; No television and video games, remove the electronics from their rooms, take away the cell phones, cancel their weekend plans, earlier bedtimes. 

 

     I prayed for a biblical passage to show the boys.  Using BibleGateway.com I searched for  chore, nothing came up.  I searched task.  17 Results, the first six results didn’t fit their crime.  The 7^th one, (Really GOD 7^th?) cried aloud. Proverbs 31:17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. My favorite Proverb, Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character.  A new thought floated in.  What was my punishment?  I too hadn’t done my chores.  I hadn’t guided and encouraged.  I hadn’t gotten up from the computer and checked their work.  I had been as bad as the boys.

     As women (and men) it is our duty to work diligently that our families may prosper.  ²⁷She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. My idleness yesterday helped our household to go awry.  My boys are not yet men and it is my responsibility and task to instruct them, over see them and their work.  It is I who needed punishment and chastising for not doing my chores. 

When the Master and Mistress slack off the rest of the household will too. Remember that we must do our chores and tasks first before we can enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Additional reading: Ecclesiastes 2:26, Romans 15:28

Lean on ME

Daily Reading: Genesis 2:18-24

So many people in this world believe they can do everything themselves. Many people try to do it all. They go to work, keep their homes cleaned, raise children, balance their budgets, are active in their communities and children's schools, go to church and in all of this they do it on their own never asking anyone else for help. Further still we take on more duties than we can typically handle. Through idealization we believe that we are supposed to do it all on our own.

As a teenager and young woman my favorite passage in the bible was The Wife of Noble Character (Proverbs 31:10-31). I thought not only that I could do it all, I thought I was supposed to do it all. It never occured to me that if I did it all I wasn't allowing room to rely on anyone else.

God never meant for us to be alone. We are meant to have a mate and share our responsibilities with our mate. Even when we are single we are still not expected to do it all. The bible says we are to care for our widows and orphans. An orphan was considered to be anyone who did not have both parents.

Our world has changed greatly in the past 2000 years when it comes to families but the fact remains that if we need help we need to ask for it. We can not hint about our needs because no one can read our minds as much as we would like for them to. We need to find humility when we can't get past an obstacle and ask others for help.

Further still we need to rely on GOD to help us. GOD never gives us more than we can handle but he can not prevent us from agreeing to take on too much. We need to pray about everything before saying we will do each task. If we do not feel that GOD is giving us a green light we need to wait for the light to turn green. If the light doesn't turn green and we are being pushed for an answer then we have to bow out gracefully because GOD is saying NO.

Genesis 2:18 The LORD, GOD said "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

Need More? Visit Matthew 11:25-30