The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. – Proverbs 16:9
Hey sisters in Christ, this post gets me so excited to write and share. I have grown to have a great love and passion for planning, home management, journaling, and organizing.
I want to share 5 ways we can plan for God’s Glory and how these tasks are or can become Joyful things to do.
1. “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” – Proverbs 21:5
To be diligent means to be “having or showing care and conscientiousness in one’s work or duties.”
As wives, mothers, and homemakers we have this amazing opportunity to manage our Homes. Even if you’re unmarried and without children, you still have to be in charge of a schedule and/or a routine. This is a great opportunity to be women of DILIGENCE – working hard unto the Lord in the task of keeping our lives organized and running smoothly.
PLANNING: When we plan out our to-do’s, our budgets, our schedules and keep everything lined up we are being workers of OFFENSE and not DEFENSE. Our whole family benefits from our diligence. “Profit” doesn’t always mean MONEY – It can be less stress, more time to play and rest, calm, a peace.
“Anxiety weighs down the heart” Proverbs 12:25a
When we are planners and diligent in that planning it will reduce stress. This is a win ladies!
2. “a prudent wife is from the Lord.” – Proverbs 19:14b
This one makes my heart start beating faster. I have grown to just LOVE being a help meet to my husband. This was not always the case in my marriage. I was in sin for a LONG time: being lazy, being unsubmissive, and taking pride in being “undomestic.” Ugh. The Lord has saved me from those sins and sanctified me greatly in these areas, all by His power and for His glory.
I want to be a PRUDENT woman.
Prudence means “acting with or showing care and thought for the future.”
Planning: When we are looking ahead to the upcoming days, weeks, and months we will be able to know what needs to be done and when – in order to keep the home and THE family’s time running smoothly. Of course, we are not in control of the future. Only God is Sovereign but we can plan and be prudent in that planning.
The Proverbs 31 woman was able to laugh at the future firstly because she knew who was the one truly in control and secondly because she was a woman PREPARED!
“When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.” P.31:21
3. “The wise woman builds her house, but with her OWN hands a foolish one tears hers down.” – Proverbs 14:1
This verse always cuts deeply into my heart because I was once the foolish woman who was tearing her family apart with her (my) own sin: laziness especially.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life. – P31:11-12
PLANNING: How wonderful for our husbands to know that we have got our schedules, our budgets, our home management PREPARED AND ORGANIZED!? I know my husband LOVES it. Being a wife who can easily share the plans, the schedule, the upcoming bills, important documents and where they’re easily located, etc. is a HUGE crown to my husband’s head. It HONORS him, which truly is honoring to the Lord.
Our homes being in disorder and chaos really does impact our relationships, especially with those living in the home. Our husband’s are affected ladies by our choices. As Proverbs says: We are either a crown to their head or we are rot to their very bones. (P.12:4)
Sidenote: As a foster mom, I can tell you that children are GREATLY impacted by the state of their homes. Disorder can create tension, laziness, conflict, poor hygiene, and either a retreating of the child or a child who acts out. We need to be mothers who are working hard to create a place of safety, warmth, cleanliness, and order.
4. “Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.” – Proverbs 17:1
Okay, it took everything in me to write the word “morsel.” LOL. I hate this word. It just sounds yucky to me. Anyways, this verse also hits my gut.
Note what commentators say on this verse:
i. “Peace and contentment, and especially domestic peace, are beyond all other blessings.” (Clarke)
ii. “Ponder every thought that may disturb contentment. If you have fewer comforts than you used to have, or fewer comforts than other people have, or fewer comforts than you desire, do you not still have more than you deserve?” (Bridges)
i. “Its precise antithetic parallels contrasts a dinner party consisting of a dry bite of bread that had not been dipped into a dish of savory sauce of oil, vinegar or the like (cf. Proverbs 19:24), but nevertheless enjoyed in security, with an unlimited royal banquets but plagued with strife.” (Waltke)
ii. “Abundance often brings a deterioration of moral and ethical standards as well as an increase in envy and strife.” (Ross)
Planning: So how does this verse fit into planning? Well, when we are being good stewards of our time, money, and our homes, this will also overflow into the heart of contentment.
The Lord would rather us be poor in goods and live in peace than have a daily banquet with a home full of strife! Our homes peace is important and one way we can have a peaceful home is by being women who are managing our homes well.
5. “Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.” – Proverbs 24:27
I love this verse! It is perfect for PLANNING!!!!
Planning: We cannot accomplish our goals well if we are not diligent and prudent in the PLANNING of how these goals will be accomplished.
First, we plan. Then we build.
This is wisdom ladies. Write things down. Organize. Brain dump. Schedule. PLAN!
In all things we need to honor the Lord and work diligently FOR HIM. He controls our steps and the path 100%! But He has also given us discernment, tools, and the instructions to be good wives, mothers, and homemakers. We need to obey His Word and say no to the sins of laziness.
The Lord is a God of Order. We can demonstrate that in how we manage our lives.
If you’d like to join my FB GROUP for Christian Women Planners Click HERE
WITH LOVE JILLIAN 