The Most Important Thing of All (31 Days of Imperfect Homemaking)

If you're just joining the 31 Days of Imperfect Homemaking series, you can see all the posts here.

Friends, we have so many responsibilities.  I can tell you that when I put together my daily schedule, everything on it barely fit, and I wasn't trying to stuff in any extras.  Between homeschooling, trying to keep the house clean, and feeding my family healthy food, my days are full.   I can't waste a single minute of my day or things start falling apart pretty quickly.

I'm sure many of you know exactly how it is to be loaded down with responsibilities.  You've done everything you can to reduce unnecessary things in your schedule, but you still feel like you're barely keeping up with everything that needs to be done.

Because you're so (legitimately) busy, maybe you're neglecting the most important thing of all.

Maybe you're not finding time for God and His Word.

You go, go, go from sunup to loooong past sundown, and you certainly don't feel you have the energy to get up any earlier to read your Bible.

But you can't do this without Him!  Because you are so burdened down with responsibilities, you need Him even more!

You probably know the story of Mary and Martha.  Martha was scurrying around trying to get all the work done, and Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet, soaking up everything He said.  Jesus rebuked Martha and said that Mary had chosen the “good part”.

You have all those things on your schedule that are going to make you a good wife or mom — after all being a good wife or mom means keeping your family in clean clothes and keeping their bellies full, right?  But what your family needs most of all is a wife and mom who shines the light of Jesus into the home.

Okay, okay!  Stop making me feel guilty!  What am I supposed to do!  I'm tired and frazzled, and now you're trying to tell me that I'm unspiritual too just because I'm trying to take care of my family!

Dear friend, you need Jesus desperately.  You're tired and frazzled, and you need Him more than ever.  Stop trying to do this in your own power.  Somehow, some way, make time for God.  When you're folding the laundry, listen to scripture on a CD or on your phone.  When you're cooking dinner, listen to music that is based on the Word of God that will speak to your soul.  There is a list here of many more ways you can find time for God even though you're incredibly busy with life's responsibilities.

You see, the object is not to have a relationship with God in spite of fulfilling your responsibilities well; it is to fulfill your responsibilities well because of your relationship with God.  Put Him first.  Every day.  Then watch your home transform from a place of chaos into a haven of peace.

Sure, you'll still get behind on laundry and your family might eat cereal for supper sometimes.  But you will have the joy of responding with a sweet attitude even on the busiest and most stressful days.  You will have the wisdom to know when it's okay to feed your family cereal for supper because it's late and they need to get to bed or when you should stay up a little later to finish preparing the meal you started before that unexpected ER visit.

So, dear Imperfect Homemaker, if you only complete one challenge in this entire series, let it be this one:  Learn to be like Christ by spending time with Him every day.  There is no better way to change the atmosphere of your home.

Today's Instagram Challenge: Post a picture of one way you are making time for God!  Use the hashtag #imperfecthomemaker to encourage other members of this community!  (Follow me here.)