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For mothers, our lives revolve around our husbands, our children and our homes. It seems that some mothers focus so much on outside events, sports for their children, school lessons, and various other events that life is one big chaotic mess. They are never home, although their titles are "Home School Mom" or "Home Maker". "The greatest enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but good choices which are not quite good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best"*. What does this mean? Going on field trips, doing Bible studies, being involved with sports practices or piano lessons- all of these things can be good, but when they start taking up so much of our time that our spiritual life becomes shallow or non-existent and our husbands and children can feel the tension due to the extreme activity and our exhaustion, then that is when we need to ask ourselves, 'What is truly necessary?' Our first goals should be to keep a peaceful home and to "lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity" (1 Tim. 2:2).
Personal Reflection: In which ways as a Christian woman have you chosen "the good" over "the best"? How has it affected your home and your quiet time with the Lord? What did you do or what can you do to bring peace and tranquility back into your home?
A Word Study of Isaiah 30:15: 'In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength. But you were not willing.' Repentance means "returning"; Rest means to bring away; to settle down. Quietness means appease, idleness, be still. After reading these definitions, what do you think the Lord desires us to do in relation to Is. 30:15?
Jesus made it clear that being alone to have prayer with His Father was a priority. Matthew 14:23- "He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray... He was there (alone)." Luke 6:12- "He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the (whole night) in prayer to God." Read Luke 9:18. Personal Reflection: As mothers, who may be constantly surrounded by little children, what are some ways that we can be alone with our Father in prayer?
"Let everything else including work, clothes, and food be set aside. The busyness of things obscures our concentration of God. We must maintain a position of beholding Him, keeping our lives completely spiritual through and through. Let other things come and go as they will, let other people criticize us as they will; but never allow anything to obscure the life that "is hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3). Never let a hurried lifestyle disturb the relationship of abiding in Him"*. Personal Reflection: Which main characteristics are reflected in my life right now and what type of example is that sending to others.
"I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest," declares the Lord God. "I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing...Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them."- Ez. 34:15, 26-27. Are we still enslaved to the customs of the world, to the busyness that does not satisfy our soul? Are you living a restful life of peace amidst the storm or are you living in the storm, wishing for the peace that you know Jesus is offering?
*Oswald Chambers quote
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