What a wonderful thing that would be! To utter kind and thoughtful words! I would love to do this all the time! No idle gossip, petty comparisons, or snide comments- just kindness. I always feel better when I say kind things, or decide to wisely take the high road in situations. I love this part of Proverbs 31 because it really does matter! So much of who I really am is shown in my words- and I aim to keep them kind! (Do I often fall? ABSOLUTLY- but thankfully this scripture is here to remind me of who I want to be!)
As a perfectionist, I often find myself overdoing things. I push myself to go further and be better than is really necessary. I often catch myself overworking in my household chores. Simple tasks that should take only minutes end up taking hours due to my irrational need for something to be "perfect." As I have left school and am home full time once more, I have found that I lost my balance (if I ever had it) for all of the work that is to be done within a home (not to mention the things that are NOT on a "to do" list- like hugs, cuddles, and tussle break-ups).
Being prone to overdoing a job that composed of recurring tasks is a prime setup for feelings of failure and burnout. I can push myself to exhaustion by making sure every last dish is spotless and in its assigned place. I can drive my energy to nonexistance by putting away the last peice of laundry and starching that one last shirt. and I can certainly labor for hours making a dinner that is organic, healthy, and delicious... But tomorrow there will be more dishes to do... more shirts to fold... and more dinners to make... Perfection is not a healthy way to run a home.
My perfectionist side comes with a very high price. Yes, I may generally look somewhat put together, have amazing grades, and a beautifully kept house- but it can come at the cost of my sanity. I unnecessarily work too hard and become highly irritable- snap at my children, nag at my husband, and go into crying fits. NONE of these things are the traits of a good mother. Perfectionsim in housekeeping is not God's way.
The worst part of perfectionism is what happens when I get burned out... which, if I focus on "perfect," is way more often than I would EVER care to admit. I end up in a sobbing heap on the couch, with my children running wild, and my husband attempting to console me. I end up in bed for days on end in a semi-depression, where I lack motivation to do anything because NOTHING I do is good enough. ICK! Is THIS what God would have me do? NOOOOOOO.
The scripture above asks that we not eat the bread of idleness. It does not say work until your hands bleed (yeah, I have done it...) or scrub until you pass out (yup, done this too). Taking a necessary and healthy rest, or break, is NOT idleness (For an AMAZING thought on breaks, read here). No! This scripture speaks to my heart, because it reminds me that the days when I burn out (for totally unnecessary reasons brought upon myself) IS idleness- and is not what God wants from me.
Now HERE is what God wants from me! Not a spotless livingroom, or perfectly arranged bookcase- He wants me to be the kind of woman whose children call her BLESSED, and whose husband sings praises! I gain such hope and joy with the thought! Instead of fussing over tasks that could be done quickly (or not at all), I could be doing something special and kind for my family. Imagine if my husband came home to a happy wife who may not keep a perfect house, but has the energy to give abundant love to her children and himself. Imagine my childrens' joy if their mother took the time to sit down and play with them, instead of simply supervising while she did other tasks (I am so guilty of this... the location the children play often is dictated by whatever zone of the home I am cleaning).
Proverbs 31 is a really amazing scripture, and I aim to be like the Proverbs 31 woman =)
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