I might have said this very thing in our first 17 years of marriage. There were the usual struggles and adjustments, marital spats and immaturity. We even threw in an international emigration. But I considered myself pretty good at the whole “wife, mother, housekeeper” thing! Our marriage was good, our children well behaved and well loved; our house neat and tidy.
In fact, we thought we were so good at parenting and marriage, we decided to welcome extra children into our home (and I’m glad we did). But The Lord, in His wisdom, then decided to show us we didn’t quite have it all mapped out! We still had space to grow and He set about showing us.
What comes out, when you are squeezed, shaken, or stirred?
If you squeeze a bottle of orange juice hard, what comes out? Why orange juice of course? Why? Well, obviously because it is full of orange juice.
Likewise, if you are squeezed, shaken or stirred, what comes out? Loving kindness? Calm patience? Tender blessings? Or a frown? A yell? A criticism? Exasperation, expletives, explosions?
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
Although we may be managing everything “on our plate” and in our day, fairly well at present. And although we may be patting ourselves on the back for the good job we are doing, we cannot be complacent.
We definitely should enjoy and celebrate the times in life that are going well. Be pleased when you are succeeding, and have peace and success in your lives and homes. Our aim is not to be fearfully looking around the corner, expecting trouble. But we don’t want to rest on our laurels. There is an enemy of our soul… and we don’t want to give him any opportunities.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8
For this reason, I encourage you dear mother, even though you are not struggling with being overwhelmed, to practice the disciplines I have mentioned in the Overcoming Overwhelm series Overcome Overwhelm – The first Step.
- Spend time daily in The Word, in the presence of The Lord
- Know His Priorities for your life
- Pray and seek His will
- Ask Him to show you where you are falling short, or to reveal to you anything He needs you to be aware of
She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
Proverbs 31:17 (KJV)
“Girding up one’s loins” is usually used in scripture referring to men preparing for battle. It describes the action of hooking one’s tunic up and tying it in a knot, or tucking it under a belt, to enable freedom of movement for running and fighting. Yet here, it is used to describe the wonderful, strong Proverbs 31 woman. We, too, can gird up our loins, and be ever ready for battle. The Spiritual battle. We must be strong in the Lord, and have our hearts overflowing with Him and His word.
So that when shaken, squeezed, or stirred… it is Jesus that splashes out generously, on all who are around us!
