Pressures

By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; And by knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.  Proverbs 24:3-4

Since this coming Sunday is Mother’s Day, the next three days of devotionals are going to be devoted to mothers everywhere.  As mothers we face an incredible amount of pressure to be perfect; to have the perfect house, the perfect kids, look perfect, all while cooking the perfect meals!  Amazingly, we put many of these pressures on ourselves. 

According to Karol Ladd, author of the bestselling books How to be a Positive Mom and A Positive Plan for Creating More Calm, Less Stress, the top three stressors in a mother’s life are:

1. House Beautiful: wanting the house to always look clean and nice.
2. Perfect Kids: wanting to maintain a stellar family image
3. Need Nabbers: feeling needed by everyone at the same time

House Beautiful?

I once heard a quote that said: Cleaning the house while the kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk while the snow is still snowing.  That really puts it into perspective.  It is almost impossible to have a perfect house when you have an active, growing family. The good news is we can make positive compromises to create less stress on ourselves and our family members.  Here are a few ideas:

• Create a realistic housecleaning plan.  
• Divide chores and errands among kids in age-appropriate ways.
• Give clear instructions to family members
• Provide proper places for toys and other items to “belong”.

Getting to the Root of the Problem:  If having the perfect house is a stress point for you, you may be struggling with a deeper problem such as placing your security in having everything is its place, needing to be in control, wanting others to thing you are a great housekeeper or have a perfect house, or trying to please others.  Let go of your unrealistic expectations.  Realize that your value lies in who you are in the Lord, not what your house looks like.  Be willing to release your “perfect picture” expectations and find your strength and security in the Lord, not your environment.

The Most Important Thing:  We can learn an important lesson from the familiar Bible story of Mary and Martha.  You know the story; Mary is listening at Jesus’ feet while Martha is tending to many things.  Jesus proceeds to tell Martha that she is worrying about too many things and that only one thing is important and it can never be taken away from her.  Jesus wasn’t saying that it is never important to clean our house; He was saying that there are more important things than a perfect house, like hearing His voice and following His lead.  

There is also the fact that your children are growing!  Before you can blink, they will be out the door.  So cherish the time you have with them, don’t spend it all creating a pristine environment.  They may remember that when they grow up but I doubt it will be fond memories.  Instead give them memories of you reading to them or playing a game together.  These are the memories that you will both cherish! 

Scripture to Claim:
…but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Luke 10:42