cornerstone church
  • Home
  • About
    • Pastor
    • Elders
    • Deacons
    • Director of Women's Ministry
    • Membership >
      • Membership Covenant
    • Statement of Faith
    • Contact
  • Adult
    • Women's Ministries
    • Men's Ministries
  • Youth
    • Children's Ministries
    • Teen's Ministries
  • Missions
  • Resources
    • Bible Reading Plan
    • Calendar of Events
  • Sermons
  • Blogs
    • Blogs By Pastor Jeff Owen
    • enCOURAGEment for Women
BLOGS

enCOURAGEment for women

Manage Well, Excellent Woman

8/24/2017

 
Picture
It is the end of August and many of us women find ourselves in the middle of a very full schedule.  Our days seem to overflow with more to get done then we have time for.  Sports, school, social events and the usual change-of-season activities will consume our time if we allow it.  Ladies, my encouragement to you today is this: manage well.

As a woman, you are in a position of management whether that is your desire or not.  God has assigned you a leadership role within his framework for the family.  It makes no difference whether you feel “called”, equipped or adequate.  The role is yours.  I want you to pick it up and carry with it wisdom and grace.

In a Christian home with the biblical complementarian structure, it can be difficult to understand what our specific functions are.  We are called to submit to the leadership of our husbands (Eph. 5:2), and we do so with gladness and trust in our Lord.  Does this now relieve us of any leadership burdens or the responsibility to direct family life?  Not at all.

You may be surprised to learn how much of the responsibility of family life rests on our shoulders.  One of the teaching points older women are to help the younger women learn in Titus 2:5 is how to be “working at home”.  The Greek word for this, oikourgos, can be translated as “keeper of the house” or “taking care of household affairs”.  Another good example is found in 1 Timothy 5:14 where Paul encourages the younger widows to remarry, “bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander.”  The Greek used here is oikodespoteō, which translates “to rule a household, manage family affairs.”  These are strong directives from the Lord.

As women we are to manage our homes.  This authority (yes, authority) is given to us as a responsibility from God.  Understand this is done under the headship of the husband (1 Cor. 11:3); our authority comes under his authority, but this does not decrease its significance or vitality.  In fact, it increases it.  If we direct and manage our homes well, what a blessing that is to our husbands and families! 

This makes good biblical sense when we look at the standard given in the woman of excellence in Proverbs 31.  She (this perfect woman who does not exist) is the epitome of a woman managing her household well.  Her life is the fruit of a heart devoted to the Lord and I encourage you to study her.  Proverbs 31:27-28: She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.  Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:” This smart woman has her act together and is actively managing a household, because of this everyone around her is blessed. 

Do not equate managing with having a clean house (oh, my, I would fail often!).  That factors in (caring for what God has blessed us with), but it is not the core of this role.  Managing a home well includes being organized, managing time and schedules, coordinating activities, providing for needs, being wise with finances, keeping the priorities of the family in place, setting boundaries, maintaining discipline and much more.   Above all, it means pointing others continually to Christ and ensuring all you do as a family and in the home reflects that priority.

The directive to be a “keeper of the home” applies to all women.  Whether you are young, old, single, married, with or without children, living in a mansion or an apartment.  All women must manage their household well, whatever it may look like.   Although unpopular because of societal pressures, this command from God to manage our homes will best be accomplished when we are actually there, present at home.  Unless authentic necessity dictates otherwise I encourage women to grab hold of this awesome responsibility from God and run with it.  Be home, be present and hone your home to be an instrument of the gospel and a launching pad for ministry.

Ladies, step up to this task, understanding what hangs in the balance.   Reading further in Titus 2:5 we are told we work at home “that the word of God may not be reviled.”  In 1 Timothy 5:14, we manage our households to “give the adversary no occasion for slander.”  We stand guard over the hearts in our home by lifting the Word of God high and fending off our adversary.  What a position of tremendous influence assigned to us by God! 

So stand strong in the power of Holy Spirit and walk in obedience to what you have been called to.  Through Christ, strive to be an Excellent Woman and manage well.




Comments are closed.

    Archives

    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014

    Categories

    All
    Adversity
    Anger
    Assurance
    Beauty
    Bible Study
    Biblical Womenhood
    Body Of Christ
    Children
    Christ Likeness
    Christ-Likeness
    Christmas
    Church
    Contentment
    Covenant
    Creation
    Death
    Depression
    Discipleship
    Easter
    Encouragement
    Endurance
    Evangelism
    Faith
    Forgiveness
    Giving
    Glory
    Gospel
    Happy
    Heaven
    Hell
    Holy
    Holy Spirit
    Homeschooling
    Hope
    Husband
    Jesus
    Joy
    Knowledge
    Love
    Marriage
    Missions
    Modesty
    Money
    Mother
    Obedience
    Prayer
    Preaching
    Purpose
    Relationship
    Resurrection
    Risk Taking
    Sanctification
    Satan
    Satisfaction
    Sin
    Singleness
    Sovereignty
    Spiritual Gifts
    Sufferring
    Thankful
    The Word Of God
    Time
    Treasure
    Trials
    Trust
    Wife
    Wives
    Worship

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About
    • Pastor
    • Elders
    • Deacons
    • Director of Women's Ministry
    • Membership >
      • Membership Covenant
    • Statement of Faith
    • Contact
  • Adult
    • Women's Ministries
    • Men's Ministries
  • Youth
    • Children's Ministries
    • Teen's Ministries
  • Missions
  • Resources
    • Bible Reading Plan
    • Calendar of Events
  • Sermons
  • Blogs
    • Blogs By Pastor Jeff Owen
    • enCOURAGEment for Women