The Unachievable Woman

All of you know of that one mom or that one wife who has it all put together. Her house is always spotless, her kid's clothing is always clean and pressed, she is a magnificent cook, she never raises her voice and her husband is always grinning from ear to ear...I think she even wears a pearl necklace! And, as if that's not enough pressure, even the Bible tells us what a wife and mother should be like and that it's nearly an impossible task; Proverbs 31:10 "Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies."

I read that, look at some of the other mothers I know and think to myself, "Ahh, crap..." The woman in Proverbs 31 wakes up before dawn, spins wool and flax, respects her husband at home and in public, she earns an income, works hard and late, helps the poor, she isn't anxious about the future, she speaks with wisdom and grace, she dresses well, fears the Lord and makes her own bedspreads...It's like she's a woman who goes on Pinterest and actually does the things that she posts on her page. I mean, I have had a trillion ideas of all the things I want to do, the kind of woman I want to be, what I want my house to look like and how I want to treat my husband. But thinking all these things and actually doing all these things (and having the proper heart attitude) are two completely different things.

My husband and I have been going through the book of James in our morning devotions (wait...hold on...we are not "those perfect people". We have been married for almost 2 years and are just now starting to do devotions together daily. FYI Satan hates Christian marriages and families and tries to destroy them by keeping you too busy or too tired to do the most important things like reading the Bible and praying together. Even spending quality time together. Don't believe me? Check out our nations divorce rates and children without fathers or mothers. But that's another post for another day...Back to James). In James chapter 1, starting in verse 19, we learn about listening and doing. Verse 22 specifically says, "But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves." Maybe it is possible to be a good wife and a good mom and keep a clean house and make good meals for our families. Maybe it is possible to be a stay at home mom and also make some money (at least not spend every cent our husbands make on shoes and dishes. Check out Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University here.) Maybe the problem is an unwillingness to let go of the single lifestyle we thought was so fun and free. Maybe the problem is making excuses. Maybe the problem is laziness. Maybe the problem is that we don't realize the importance of taking care of our families. And maybe, because of that lack of understanding, we begin to say, "I'm just a mom. I just stay home with the kids." No! You don't JUST do anything! You ARE a mom and you RAISE your kids! You make sacrifices, you work hard, you put your family first! Take pride in what you do for your family and you will enjoy it and find new energy and a new sense of purpose in what you are doing. Your kids and your husband depend on you more than you realize. And your attitude effects your entire household. Be honest, mom. When you have a bad day and you let everyone know it, the entire demeanor of the house shifts, doesn't it? It's okay to admit it. I'm a mom and a wife and I have bad days and I react badly and then the family suffers for it. 

So, I challenge us this week. Start encouraging your husband and your kids instead of yelling at and demeaning them. See how the atmosphere of your home changes. I bet there will be a lot more laughter, love, success and obedience.

You are not worthless. You are a warrior princess.