Things to Consider about Work

If you are a married Mom that is trying to decide whether or not you should work or stay home, these are some things that must be taken into consideration before making that decision.

First figure out how and if it is possible for your family to be a one income family, if not - decide if it could be in the future by finding expenses you could cut back on or eliminate altogether. The reason I encourage you married women to find a way to stay home is because I believe it is the most rewarding job a woman can ever have. It is such an incredible blessing to be constantly available to my daughter.

By working 40 hours a week for approximately 50 weeks a year (that includes approx 2 weeks off from work for vacation), you are away from your children for nearly 3 months out of the year. Not a big deal, right? Now, Multiply that by 18 years and it becomes 4 years of your life away from your child(ren). That is time that you do not get to spend with your child.

Granted, 13 of those years they will be in school for a large portion of your work hours, and if you work only during their school hours it will only mean that 2 years have been taken away due to the amount of schooling the public system has them do. However, if you work 9-5 you loose an additional 9 months. Over a period of 13 years those 2 extra hrs become 270 full 24 hr periods (9 full months).

If you work full time, 9-5pm: That is 420 days in the first 5 years of their life (over a year of their life) and plus the additional 270 days throughout the next 13 years. That is 690 days ( nearly 2 years) that you could spend with your children should you choose to not work full-time. The reason I have added up all of these days is because many of us don't realize exactly how much time is taken away by us working all the time.

Education is not an option. Therefore if your child is in the public school system, 2 of the 4 years you are unable to spend with your children they are being educated. Every child must attend some form of school: whether it be in a public school, private school, home school, or even unschooling. A child cannot go through life without some form of education. Day care programs, summer long camps, and after school programs may offer some education, but their main purpose is to serve as forms of childcare. The only reason they exist is because of working parents and their need for childcare while they are working during the days.

The point is we only have roughly 18 years to encourage, teach, love on, and guide our children until they become adults, and from then on - they are on their own. Yes, Lord willing you will still be around for them but they will essentially be on their own. 18 years is not long in regards to a lifetime, it is time that should be well cherished. I believe many Mothers in our culture do not take enough time to cherish their children. When you take into account all of the hours used by working full time, you literally have only have 14 years to spend with your children.

The thing to consider is this: Is all of that time spent away from your children worth it? Is your decision to work based on a personal fulfillment desire? Will your children truly benefit from your work? As for me and my family, the answer is no. We are living on a single part-time income and there are often times where I wish I could go work for a paycheck to contribute to our family, but the fact of the matter is - we are not on the streets. God is providing. I have no true need to work outside of the home. For some people it might be worth it, but in my case I view no job is more worthy of my time than my family. No job can even come close to the level of importance of Motherhood.

As for working while the children are in school (granted of course that you are not homeschooling), I believe the answer is entirely up to you and your husband. The answer to that question should be based on what you know you are capable of, what your goals are, and what your convictions are (Romans 14). I believe women should be the keepers in their home (Titus 2), but I also believe a woman can work outside of the home (as the Proverbs 31 woman did) and still be the keeper of the home - as long as your motives are Biblical and you are not neglecting your duties as a Mother.

My Mom stayed home with me and my 2 siblings. She was home with me every day of my life until I was about 5 years old (which I believe is a very critical time for motherhood and childhood). After that, during my 13 years of school I went to a public school for many of those years and home schooled for a few of them - but I was never home alone day after day or had to be put into any after school day care due to my Mom working past my school time. Let me tell you - I was and still am SO grateful for that because through her example, I learned just how precious time with your children is and how every moment of the day should be cherished. I was also able to spend more time with my Mom than many kids ever get the chance to. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for blessing us with that time because she died when I was just 20. God used her impact on my life to shape me into the person that I am now, and I need to thank him every day for it. If I die when Zoe is 20, I want to know that I have taught her everything she needs to know and I want to be there with her every step of the way, every single day. Absolutely no time wasted.

My Mother's dedication to motherhood is one of the most important things I ever learned from her. I remember when I was very young and I asked my Mom why she didn't have a job (meaning a job outside the home) and she replied with, "So that I can always be here for you." She dedicated her life to taking care of us children to the best of her ability. I hardly ever saw her do anything for herself, she spent all of her time doing things for the good of her family. And she always was there for me and available to me always, until the day she died. In that sense, she was the epitome of what I believe every Mother should be.

Within a Family this is what the Biblical order is: God is our Father and we must submit to him first and foremost. Second, as a wife you are to be your husband's helper and submit to him as the leader of the family. Third, your children, and then yourself. God is glorified through this order, which is why he designed it this way. Your children come before you and all of your personal goals in life. Your decision about work needs to be based upon the needs of your children, not yourself. Many women choose to work for reasons that are nothing less than selfish. They want to be accepted by the culture as an important member of society - they base their importance on their job. A job that is going to take time away from family is not a privilege, it does not determine your level of importance, it is a duty and that is all. If you decide you must work it should be for the good of your family, not yourself.

If you are working because you need to and your family would be on the streets if you did not work, then work! You are honoring the Lord by doing your duty to your family. However, if you are working just for the sake of having extra money or if you feel you need a job or else you'd be bored - you need to examine your motives and priorities because your children need you. I may also point out that a lot of what women make at their jobs goes to day care, in some cases it is nearly all of the money goes to it.

Children need their Moms. If you are working all the time and they are in day care all day or after school programs, and the majority of their time is spent with other people, not with you: you are allowing other people (many that you do not know) to teach and influence your children and do the work for you. Your children belong to you and they are your responsibility, not theirs.

Our Father in Heaven is always there for us, and we are his children. We need to do the same for our children. Always consider their needs before your own I can guarantee the Lord will bless you for it.

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My Thoughts on Boredom

The dictionary defines the word bored as:

-verb (used with object)
1. to weary by dullness, tedious repetition, unwelcome attentions, etc.

–noun
2. a dull, tiresome, or uncongenial person.
3. a cause of ennui or petty annoyance: repetitious tasks that are a bore to do.

It seems like such a simple and innocent thing. Everyone falls into this state of mind at times and it doesn't seem like it could ever really do a person any harm. When you are bored it means your brain is lacking stimulation and you need to do something that will bring you some form of entertainment or amusement. However if you find yourself in a place where you are repeatedly bored every day, "weary of dullness" and finding that nothing in life seems to amuse you or give you joy, that is when problems with boredom begin to arise. Especially if you are a Christian. You become engulfed in yourself, God is no longer the center of your life, and your goal is simply to please yourself and if you cannot find what you are looking for, if you stay wrapped up in yourself and your lack of productivity, it can often lead to depression.

Pro 31:27 - She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

When I was a growing up I would often say to my Mom that I was bored. When I'd get tired of doing the same things all the time I'd complain that there was nothing to do. She always told me, "Don't be bored. There is always something to do." or she'd say, "There is no reason for you to be bored." That is true, there is always something to do, and often times there are tons of things to do. The problem is that many of those things can often seem tedious but nevertheless, they are productive things. My Mom taught me that when you are "bored" all the time, it is because you are choosing to be that way. Boredom is a self-centered and lazy state to be in. It is to say that your life at the moment is dull and there is nothing that can satisfy your need for amusement.

Ever since I was about 18 years old, I have made a conscious effort to never say, "I'm bored." And if I catch myself even thinking it, I always remind myself that by being bored I am only thinking of myself and ignoring the many beneficial things that I could be doing. In times of complete selfishness I have actually caught myself saying it a few times. It isn't the word itself that is the problem, it is the attitude associated with it. Many things in life can be boring, but in times of boredom does it make it right to submit to laziness, idleness, and discontent?

I know a person who claims to be bored nearly every day of his life. He spends much of his time doing nothing productive and then he wonders why he is not making any progress.

Pro 12:11 - Hard work means prosperity; only fools idle away their time.

As Christians we should strive to glorify the Lord in all that we do. No time should be wasted. We also need to be sure that we are grateful for the innumerable amount of blessings God has granted us.

Psa 118:24 - This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Here are some things to do if you are struggling with boredom.

1. Pray. There is nothing greater than having the opportunity to spend time with the Creator of the Universe!
2. 1Th 5:16 Always be joyful. Remember that this is a day that the LORD has made; rejoice and be glad in it.
   
3. Count your blessings! God has blessed you with a multitude of ways to glorify Him and to enjoy the life that He has provided you with. (1 Timothy 4:5)
4. Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness.
5. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next. (1 Timothy 4:7-8)
6. If you have your Bible with you, spend time reading it. It can be hard at times; not knowing what to read or where to begin, but I can assure you that the more you spend time in it, the more you'll want to read it. The Bible is God's instructions for you, his letters to you, reading his Word will only benefit you.
7. Think! If you have nothing else, you have your mind. Think of ways to encourage and benefit others. Take some time to plan something special for someone, or think about ways you can be productive when you get the chance.
8. Whatever you do - do not keep the focus on yourself.

Beth Moore

Spiritual discernment and doctrinal truth is very important to me. Everything I do, think, say, and believe should first be brought to Christ. I want nothing more than to see the world through the eyes of Christ. As I said in my previous post, it will take time to obtain godly wisdom and of course we'll never be able to fully see all that God can see, but it is SO important to allow the Holy Spirit to do what He came to do.

I don't know a lot about Beth Moore yet but I do know women who absolutely ADORE her. I actually have a friend who called Beth Moore her spiritual idol, she actually said she idolizes the woman. I don't know but in my mind a HUGE red flag goes up when someone says something like that. I believe that idolizing anyone for any reason whatsoever is blasphemy, it goes directly against the law of the Bible. Maybe she just used the word in the wrong context, but maybe not. Regardless, I have heard from many women that they don't just love her studies, they love HER. Yet again, I have another red flag going up in my head.

I have not heard good things about Beth Moore's doctrine on a deeper level but in every other aspect everyone adores her and what she teaches. I looked at her statement of faith on her website and yes, it is all absolutely in line with the Bible. There are many issues that are not discussed though that are pretty important. One in particular is her teaching over men. She teaches over men in her church and in her ministries and despite any excuses she has come up with, even if she never intended for it to be that way, it is is definitely something the Bible very plainly states in 1 Timothy 2:12 that we're not supposed to do. Women are not to teach or be in authority over men. These are not my words but the words of Bible.

Other than those things, I honestly don't know what to think yet because I have not done one of her studies. I have only heard from people who have done her studies. I would love to find out that she does care about giving accurate Biblical information to her readers, but until I know that, I don't know if I can really say I'm a fan.

My church has a Beth Moore study and as far as theology goes, I believe my church is very theologically sound. Therefore, the Beth Moore studies must not be as bad as some people make them out to be. I also don't believe they are as brilliant as other people seem to think they are though. Who knows, maybe one day I'll try one the studies in addition to an actual Bible study. I'm more into learning about the Bible in a literal and historical way rather than a topical and life applicable way.

We'll see.


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Joyce Meyer

I struggled for years with low self esteem, depression, loneliness, fear of people, etc. Our culture screams that in order to be somebody you have to know how to love yourself above anything else, because if you can't love yourself, you can't begin to love others. I have actually heard people say that and it is the furthest thing from the truth!

Don't get me wrong. The Bible does tell us we should be joyful and of course we should never hate ourselves but our lives should not be focused on ourselves. It should ALL be about Jesus.

I struggle with this 'me me me!' mentality all the time. I'm not skinny enough, my hair isn't pretty enough, my face isn't clear enough, I don't have enough stuff for my kitchen, I need ____ and I need ____. I think everyone in our culture deals with this and most people don't even realize that they are doing it. But what we need to keep in mind is that we are no longer living for ourselves if we are Christians. We should be striving for Biblical attitudes towards life.

Joyce Meyer is the author of over 50 self-help books that apparently include Biblical principles.

I know people who love her and people who can't stand her. She does have a lot of good to say. From the average Christian's perspective, she is very inspiring and you can get a lot out of what she says. That is the problem though, I don't know how much God can be glorified by anything that she says. On the surface, everything appears to be Biblical but if you take the time to really look at what she's teaching, it doesn't look so Biblical anymore. In fact in many cases she is not being true to what the Bible actually teaches.

So this brings up the question - is it wrong for us, as Christians, to want to be happy and motivated? Of course not. We do need to look at everything from a Biblical perspective though. The way Joyce Meyer puts things makes it seem like your happiness comes first and then Jesus. She writes paragraphs about how we have such a hard time getting motivated to do stuff and then she'll add a verse in there, totally out of context, and say it relates to what she's talking about. Very similar to what many pastors do these days - playing with the Bible as if it were a toy. Her books are ALL about enjoying YOURSELF, loving YOURSELF, and motivating YOURSELF.

The Bible points us to one person, Jesus Christ - not ourselves. In fact the Bible says the exact opposite. The Bible was not written to increase your self-esteem. You should never read your Bible with the intent of it just making you a better person. Many people do this. You read the Bible to help you grow in your knowledge of Jesus Christ and through that you develop a relationship with our God. When you become a Christian, your life is dedicated to God. You die to yourself.


Quotes by Joyce Meyer:

"One of my greatest desires is to see people thoroughly enjoy the quality of life Jesus died to give us—to actually be happy." - Joyce Meyer

Ok WOW. Wow. Wow. Wow. No, Joyce. I am sorry but you are wrong. Very wrong in fact. Jesus did not die so that you or I would have a greater quality of life and so we could go to Heaven to be even happier with ourselves. Jesus died because we are horrible, rotten sinners and we deserve to go to Hell and if he did not die for us, we would be in big trouble. He saved us from our SINS that we commit on a daily basis.

"I have great news for you: God wants you to be happy today and every day. He really does. Jesus’ statement about life in John 10:10 is absolutely amazing to me: “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they might have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overfl ows).”" - Joyce Meyer

Ok I cannot find the version that says "that they might have and enjoy life" Not even The Message adds that part. I just don't know why people feel they need to add to the Bible. Besides, I believe that scripture is referring to the life we have in CHRIST for all eternity, not the life we have on Earth.

Did you know that if you don't like yourself, you are never going to like anybody else, and you won't be able to help your spouse like himself or herself? - Joyce Meyer

"Remember, He died so we could experience authentic happiness." - Joyce Meyer

No, he died so that we could be saved by faith in his son. Of course that alone should make one jump for joy and weep tears of pure joy! But the happiness Joyce is talking about is not the same happiness that we receive through Christ. Her happiness is focused on what she can do for herself and how she can make other people happy.

Those are just a few quotes I found on a couple pages in one of her books... she has over 50 books. I'm sure I'll be writing about her again in the future.