The Devil is out to steal, kill and destroy. We often look for him in only dark places, but the Bible tells us that he disguises himself as an angel of light and a wolf in sheep's clothing. We must be constantly on the lookout for his sly tricks. If he can direct our focus away from our homes and families he will.
He loves it when you are so busy that you have little time to accomplish your work at home, be encouraging and honoring to your husband, and teach and train your children. A cluttered or unorganized home is the perfect environment for frustration and strife and the devil loves it! When after a long day of work, your husband comes home to a wife with an unkempt appearance and a discouraged countenance, the devil jumps with glee! When your children ask you questions and you are just to busy to answer or when your child pouts when Mama says no and you just don't have the energy to address the issue, the devil does a happy dance. He will use anything to distract you from your calling, even things that look 'good'.
Sometimes he uses my computer and all of the 'useful information' to distract me from my home. If my home is not orderly and clean then I have no business being on my computer looking up creative projects. My home and Husband must come first, no matter how much I LOVE creating things. Often times when I start a project everything in my home gets forgotten. I am so intently working that I forget all about the many responsibilities I have as a wife and homemaker. When my Husband walks in the door after working hard all day, looking forward to a relaxing evening and a warm, satisfying meal he instead finds me attentively working on my project, surrounded by supplies. Somehow time slipped by and the truly important things that I needed to accomplish got set aside. If this happens occasionally our homes and Husbands will not suffer, but if this becomes the norm chaos will result.
Our homes will fall into shambles without our consistent care. Our Husbands will become discouraged, dull, and worn down without our tender love and admiration. Our children will become dissatisfied, selfish adults if we do not take the time to train them in the admonition of the Lord. Our job is so important! We are so needed!
There are so many distractions in our world today. We have constant access to entertainment through television, radio, video games, etc. We also have complete access to the internet through computers, smart phones, ipads, etc.
I have a challenge! Lets turn our focus back to our home, Husband and children. Today turn off the TV, turn off any form of music, and this one is going to be REALLY hard for some of you, but put away your smart phone. Only answer important phone calls and very important texts. (As soon as you are done reading this article shut down your computer. =D)
When you are completely unplugged you will be able to totally focus on the truly important things that need done in your home. It might be laundry, general cleaning, organizing, washing dishes, planning a menu, cooking, decluttering, etc. You will now be able to totally focus, without meaningless distractions! You will probably hear and see things that you don't normally notice. You will remember things that have long since been forgotten.
You may not be able to accomplish everything in just one day. That is okay! This is just the start! Choose the most pressing tasks, (which are probably the tasks you always put off because they are your least favorites=D). Dig in and get them done! You will have such a feeling of accomplishment!
In the afternoon, even if you did not accomplish everything on your list, REWARD YOURSELF with something you enjoy. You must remain 'unplugged' though! (No Pinterest, ladies! =D) Read a wholesome book, take a nap, eat a healthy, yummy snack, work on a project you enjoy, play with your children, go for a walk, anything!
It may sound really tough at first to commit to 'unplugging' for a day, but I guarantee, it will be worth it! I won't be there to watch you all day and tap you on the shoulder when you decide to 'get online for just a second'. You know what I mean by 'unplugged'. Pushing the limit will only steal your peace.
Once you've done this for an entire day and reaped the benefits you will probably want to do it again or even for an entire weekend! Sometimes I do this once or twice a week. You may even choose to eliminate a few things from your life that you realize you don't really need or want.
Let me know how your day goes!
Continually striving to live 'unplugged' and stay focus on the important things of life!
~Clair
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