"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we
drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these
things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek
first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be
given to you as well." Matthew 6:31-33 (NIV)
Devotion:
As a woman, don't you wear a lot of hats? During the course of your
week, you may place on your head any of the following hats: wife,
mother, worker, daughter, sister, aunt, grandma, chief cook and bottle
washer, chauffer, nurse, maid, counselor, referee, PTO member,
committee chair, oh, yeah….and a woman of God. Sometimes these hats
are stacked so high that trying to balance them all on our pretty
little heads sends us toppling completely over!!! And sadly, often the
last hat we try to place on the top of this mountain is the crown we
wear as a daughter of the King.
I love the simple, straight shooting words of our Lord. He cuts to the
chase, breaking commands down into bite-sized chunks. He doesn't
direct us to apply a complicated six-step process in order to achieve
what He has planned for us. No, He simply tells us gently, but firmly,
what must be done in order for our lives to get in order. "But seek
first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all of these things will
be given to you as well" (Matt. 6:33, NIV). However simple these
verses may be, sometimes fleshing them out into reality in our lives
isn't always easy.
Especially in today's society, a climate of frenzied activity breathes
and breeds busyness. Years ago, success in our society used to be
determined by what neighborhood you lived in or what kind of car your
drove. Now our society measures success differently???by how busy you
are! We have no white space left on our calendar; our kids constantly
are carted from one activity to the next; why we hardly even eat
dinner as a family anymore! Yep, something in us longs to "one up" the
next gal by painting our lives in a bold shade of busy.
Although we live in a much different society than the original
recipients of Jesus' words that day on the mountainside, we can learn
from them none the less. They were concerned about where their food
and clothing would come from. While there are those in our midst who
still have those concerns, there are others of us who are fretting
about different issues. Like how we will get the food purchased and on
the table, the house cleaned, the kids bathed and dressed, the laundry
done, the kids chauffeured, the marriage prioritized, the relative
visited, the work project done…and on and on it goes.
While our responsibilities may scream at us at every turn, Christ
stands whispering… Seek first my kingdom and my righteousness, and all
of these things will be given to you as well. Perhaps His words will
prompt us to do a little plate scraping, ridding our schedules of some
of the activities that clamor for our time and draw us away from time
spent with Him.
Whatever set of hats God directs you to keep in your wardrobe,
remember to put them on in proper order. They will only stay standing
when the crown your wear as a daughter of the King is placed on first!
(Must be the points on that tiara! J)
Dear Lord, I'm sorry for the times that my hats are completely out of
order. Make I seek You and the righteousness You offer me first every
day before I attempt to carry out any of my God ordained
responsibilities. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
A Woman's Secret to a Balanced Life by Lysa TerKeurst and Sharon Jaynes
Family Enrichment Tool Box by Michelle Weber
Do You Know Him?
Application Steps:
Take a piece of paper and be alone with God for a few moments. Write
in order what you would say your priorities are. An example might look
something like this:
God
My husband
My children
My extended family members
My job
My friends
My commitments at church and in the community
Next, take a painstakingly honest look at how you spend your time.
Does it accurately reflect what you say your priorities are? Are you
allowing a number 6 or 7 to take precedence over a 1 or 2?
Reflections:
What are some commitments that I could bow out of in order to make
more white space on my calendar and more time for God and my family?
Have friend hold you accountable to do so.
When asked to take on an outside commitment, really ask yourself "Am I
called?" Do not ask yourself, "Am I capable?" Bad question! We women
have the curse of capability! Make sure you are called.
Power Verses:
Psalm 31:14-15a: But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God.
My times are in your hands..." (NIV)
Psalm 70:4: But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may
those who love your salvation always say, "Let God be exalted!" (NIV)
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
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