Two Ways to Avoid Harm – Proverbs in Practice

Happy Mother’s Day, Ladies!  May you celebrate being a mom, having your mom, or being a woman who nurtures others.  I have spiritual moms I appreciate deeply.  May you be so blessed and be such a blessing to others.

My mother was a diligent woman.  She demonstrated the opposite of our proverb this week:

“Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.”  Proverbs 18:9

Mother was more like Proverbs 14:1. “The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.”  I’m continually grateful for the way Mother built our home, through her diligence, love, sacrifice, and encouragement.

In contrast, my slothful patterns were harmful to my husband and children and affected our home.  I applied pressures that were damaging to our relationships.

Though I was busy and got a lot done, I was slack in my work because I often neglected priorities.  Instead of doing what was most important to do, I gave time and attention to other things first.  As a result, I was often behind.  Behind writing thank you’s, behind getting dinner ready, behind leaving the house, etc.  This created pressure that made me feel anxious and rushed most of the time.

Since I’d be late getting on my tasks, I passed on to our children the pressure I felt.  This was unkind to them and created an atmosphere of confusion and pain.  If I had to hurry, I wanted them to hurry.  Sadly, I remember quickly buckling our less than two-year-old into the car seat.  He looked up at me and asked, “Hurby, Mama? Hurby?”  That’s not a memory I wanted for us.  It’s not the kind of mother I wanted to be.

Gratefully, the Lord helped me see the connection between procrastination and hurry, between delay and pressure.  Getting ready to leave the house for an appointment is a higher priority than doing dishes or watering plants.  First things first. 

A jingle I made up still helps me.  “Do what it takes to get out the door.  After that, maybe more.”  I wish I’d used it years sooner.  But you can.

Another way I positioned myself to work harm was by believing a lie from the devil.  I thought it was up to me to make sure everything turned out right in our family.  That meant additional pressure that was harmful to all of us.  God did not put that on me – or you.

We can forsake the folly of procrastination and other wrong thinking.  We can build our houses with diligence and truth.  Our Lord is gracious to guide us and our children.  He is sovereign and in control of outcomes.  Relax.  Enjoy Him and the children He gives you!

What procrastination habit or way of thinking do you have that could damage relationships in your home?