Wives and Mothers and Time

You have 24 hours each day. We all do. For those who are Christians, there is a realization that all of those 24 hours belong to Him. But how He wants us spend those 24 hours is dependent upon commitment, responsibility, and promise.

If you are a wife or mother, many of those hours are, in large measure, spoken for. They are already spoken for because of relationship. We are our husband's teammate and helper. We are our children's nurturer and provider. Fulfillment of these things requires time, energy, and creative use of resources. So everyday a portion of time, energy, and creativity is already "given".

I recall an important lesson in my life. It was an especially busy season with many demands from relationships and community outside the home. I wanted to be willing to stretch myself and sacrifice more, to give of my time and energy until it hurt. But when was it too much? The clamor to do more, go more, and be more for so many others was deafening and confusing, overwhelming me night and day, day and night.

Until He spoke clearly to me. "You cannot sacrifice something that is not yours to give."

"What? I'm wondering about giving of my time and my energy, Lord. That's what I'm wondering about. I want to serve better and live sacrificially."

"I know. But you cannot sacrifice something that is not yours to give."

Gently He helped me see that my best time and energy had already been promised when I made a covenant to my husband and ensuing family. That time and energy was not mine to sacrifice to anyone or anything else. Any sacrifice was to come from the overflow, the extra, the remaining time and energy that I could freely call mine to use.

There is no certain clear formula given. What you have to give may change from day to day, season to season. Some days and weeks there is plenty of overflow. Some seasons there is little or none. That is how living by principle works - no hard and fast list of rules, only application of simple truth. Am I meeting his needs, serving his vision? Have the family needs been met, needs beyond food and clothing even? Have I read that story, helped establish routine chores, created order and peace? Is this home a refuge for them, a shelter?

It is a day by day sorting, a week by week "reality check", a willingness to take stock and determine when I need to say "no" and when I am free to say "yes". Always a plan for keeping the main thing the main thing.

It's a delicate balance, but one to work toward keeping; guard your time for them before you give your time to other.

James, A Worthy Teacher

James tells us to consider trouble to be an opportunity for joy. Great joy, I might add.

I don't know about you, but if trouble really is an opportunity it's one I have often enough, even I might say, with great regularity. It seems a daily routine, these sundry assaults and aggravations; often times petty and often enough, they appear monumental.

I'm feeling the weight of trial and testing even now, in these early morning hours. My heart is heavily burdened and the day has barely begun.

And so as I read James' opening sentence, "This letter is from James, a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ," I am deeply moved. He has no identity crisis. It is clear to him. He is a slave. Servant. One who is "devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interest." (Strong's definition)

Then James, a man wholly devoted to God's service, with his very next breath as it were, exhorts me to find trouble to be an opportunity -- an opportunity, as I well know from many years of previous reading, to learn endurance which leads to perfection.

I can read no further. I am brought to my knees. The weight of this burden humbles me. And His promise humbles me further. He wants me to find great joy even here, in this moment. What a wonderful Father.

"Lord, right here in the midst of this struggle, let me be pressed and tried and proven. Let me find You here. Let me be quick to learn and not dull and slow of mind and spirit. Let me be molded readily and not resist Your Spirit, but yield to Your Holy work in my life. Let me wholly embrace with joy - no, with great joy - Your faithfulness to lead me in Your ways and teach me. As Your servant, let me be devoted to Your interests with no regard to my own. Make me, shape me, mold me. I am Yours. And so very gladly so."

We've been singing a song as of late. It is a powerful declaration from one who is in a difficult place. I love it because its truth is for everyone. James' exhortation to find opportunity is not wasted on one single person. We all have opportunity daily; we all experience trials, troubles, testings. But truly He is in that place with us. Therefore it becomes opportunity for joy. He is there, bringing purpose.

"...here in the middle is the place where You promise to be.
As I walk through the valley, let Your love rise above every fear.
Like the sun shaping the shadow, in my weakness Your glory appears.
Not for a minute was I forsaken. The Lord is in this place."        (taken from "Here Again" by Elevation Worship)

He is in this place at this moment, here with me this morning. In this moment of testing and trouble, He is here. It is His moment if I am His servant. James knew this truth. And James knew great joy in the midst of trouble.