So it comes toward the end of the month, and I am a half-day late submitting this post on idleness. The irony is not lost, believe me!
The moment I read this verse for this project, God impressed two things on my heart.
Busyness is not the antithesis to laziness.
Instead, as these thoughts have settled in my heart over the past month, I have arrived at a place where "not eating the bread of idleness" equates to a picture of productivity plus grace, rather than busyness, burden, and no rest.
As always with this woman of Proverbs 31, in practice it will look different for everyone. For me it has meant learning this month that productivity in my home and for my family looks more like simple dinners + playing with my toddler, or minimalist cleaning + letting said toddler spend the morning painting, than just getting every box ticked on my to-do list.
There's the productivity and there's the grace. Anything less than that and I am sent spinning into a whirlwind of busy, and eventually being defeated and eating the bread of idleness.
God also brought this scripture to my mind:
"This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him."
Deuteronomy 30:19-20
The choices we make set up life or death, blessings or curses for our family. Perhaps that sounds harsh; but really, we have simple choices here.
As an experiment, I have treated laziness as a serious choice this past month. Each opportunity presented to me--to rise to my children in the wee hours of the morning, to prepare a meal, to get down and play, to exercise, to simply pray--I have tried to ask: what is the lazy option, and what is the Proverbs 31:27 option here?
Give yourself grace. Get rest. Enjoy the people God has placed around you and seek to bless them. But above all else, choose life, choose blessing.
Choose productivity plus grace.
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Emma, the first words out of my mouth after I read your post were, "That's. really. good." I tend towards the "busy" side, always having that list in the back of my mind. So I have to remain diligent not to let it overpower relationships. Watching over the ways of my home includes grace and love as its motivator. Thank you, thank you. Great post.
Click here to read other Proverbs Project posts.
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