| SIX THINGS SMART MOMS KNOW, Part 1 of 2 1. Raising A Family Involves Sacrifice. In John 10:10-13, Jesus says, "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don't belong to him and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he's working only for the money and doesn't really care about the sheep." (NLT) A hired hand only does what he does for what he can get out of it, not for what he can contribute. But smart moms know it's impossible to raise a successful family without sacrifice. Jesus saved us not just so we could escape Hell, but so we could serve others. In order to become great in His kingdom we are to become the servants of all. We are called light and salt. Christ in us is the hope of glory. Greatness comes through service. Almost every child knows that dads do what they want to do--but moms do what they have to do. Children learn how to serve by watching their parents, especially their mothers. Smart moms know that raising a successful family will involve sacrifice on their part. 2. Daily Planning Is A Way Of Life. In Proverbs 16: 3 and 9, we read, "Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." (NLT) God first planned creation, and then He spoke it into existence. God is a planner. People who plan out their day the night before normally get 80% more done than those who don't. When we don't plan, we end up dealing with only the urgent instead of the really important things in our lives. In 1 Timothy 5:14, we read that women are to manage the home, which involves some incredible organizational skills. Moms need vast amounts of information to accomplish their daily routines successfully. Everything from grocery lists to soccer schedules, dental appointments, teacher meetings, homework assignments, birthday parties, bank balances, permission slips, outfits for school, music recitals, etc. It's just too much to remember everything. "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time...." Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11 Moms have to master the calendar and the clock. In this information age, success truly is in the daily details. So whether they use a day-timer, a day-planner, or some other tool, mothers must learn to manage time well--not just for themselves but also for the sake of their children. Luke 6:40 says, "A child when fully taught will be just like his teacher" (Author's Paraphrase). Moms know that their children will also have to develop the same skills of time management to be successful in life. For the sake of their homes and their children's futures, smart moms know that daily planning is a way of life. 3. You Have To Be Flexible. Moms know that nothing stays the same. An old saying illustrates this. It says, "Men marry women thinking they'll never change. Women marry men thinking, 'I'll change him as soon as we're married.'" Men like things to stay the same. They like to sleep on the same side of the bed, drink from the same cup, sit at the same place at the dinner table, and sit in their favorite chair. Men hate surprises unless there's a big red bow attached to them. Women, on the other hand, love surprises. It's a good thing, too. An unscheduled soccer practice, bringing last-minute snacks to school, giving a child's friend a ride--moms realize that change is a natural part of life. Most moms can change on a dime. Jesus was good at that. On the way to the house of a young girl who was dying, a woman who was bleeding to death grabbed Him and stopped Him in His tracks. Without complaining, He was able to meet both needs. Jesus was constantly being interrupted on his way from point A to point B. When I graduated from high school in 1969, I assumed life would stay the same forever. A brand new home cost $15,525, a movie ticket was $1.50, a new car cost $3,278, tuition to Harvard was $2,000 a year, bread was 23 cents, and there was a horrible gas war going on. Gasoline had surged to 35 cents per gallon, up from 22 cents! Sometimes life isn't very orderly. Even with the best-laid plans there are times when we just have to be flexible and learn to adjust. In 2 Peter 3:18 we read, "You must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (NLT) Smart moms know that they must continue to grow and be flexible to be successful in life. To be continued... Joe McGee Click here Joe's Newsletter Archives for past articles by Joe McGee. |
