What's Most Important

First seek the counsel of the Lord - 1Kings 22:5 NIV

So much to do...so little time!  Is this how you feel?  This is how I feel most all of the time.  With a busy household of 7 (soon to be 8) people and all of the housework and laundry and cooking and errands and teaching and everything else that goes with it, I feel overwhelmed much of the time.

 I have found when I get that overwhelmed feeling it is time to examine my priorities.  Basic priorities are necessary to keep our families running smoothly.  In order to prioritize well we have to look at our lives, activities, schedules, and our family's needs.  Decide what's vitally important, what can be left for another time, and what is truly unnecessary. 

Make sure your priority list places God at the top.  Time spent with Him must be a busy mom's first priority.  Then let God and His word be the measuring stick by which you set your other priorities.  Choose to only put on the priority list things that will honor and glorify Him.  My mind immediately goes to television as I type that last statement.  There is very little tv watching that would be glorifying and honoring to God.  It's also a HUGE time waster!  All of us Christian women would do very well to give up watching tv altogether.  There are just many, many, better things to do with our time.  My husband just asked our family to memorize a passage of scripture (Psalm 101) that included a verse that says, I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless (verse 3).  That rules out most tv watching!  I cringe to think we would say we didn't have time to pray, and read the bible, and memorize scripture but we are watching hours of television!

We must realize that other moms may make different decisions based on their personalities, lifestyles, etc.  Their choices may not work for us and vice versa.  We must each decide what is important to us and to our home life.  We also have to look at our children's priorities.  Children need help prioritizing their lives as well.  Is your family being pulled by too many activities?  Are the children's involvements placing too much demand on the family?  If so, it's time to prune.  Prioritize your life to find what is most important.  Our decisions may not be popular with other people and that is fine.  The further you move along in your journey as a mother the less important other people's opinions become.  I used to worry what someone would think if I stepped down from this or couldn't do that.  God freed me from that concern.  I no longer even think that way.  Look to God for direction and follow His word.  He will give you wisdom.  Ask God to show you what is most important to Him.

Here are a few other things to do to help with setting priorities:

• Begin every day praying for wisdom in setting priorities.
• Plan a special family meeting to discuss setting family priorities.
• Work with your children to prioritize their activities, deleting unimportant things.  
• Read Luke 10:38-42.  What can this passage teach you about setting priorities?
• Post a family calendar in the kitchen.  Write down all activities, places and times.
• Pray that God will work in all your activities for His honor and glory.
• Acknowledge the need to spend more time reading God's word with the children.

Ephesians 5:15  Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise.

Colossians 3:2  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Matthew 22:37  And He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind".