Proverbs 31 - Week 11

As I am nearing the end of this 90 day study, I am finding myself running out of steam. The study has a LOT of practical application, which is great, but I am not keeping up with it all and I am beating myself up about it. With that said, here is the week 11 review...

The Ministry of the Home

Consider family meals as a time of ministry. Now, I must say this is a new concept for me. We make a valiant effort to have dinner together every night as a family. I never have thought of it as a ministry. However if you consider this next statement, it definitely can be considered a ministry. Donna says, "...a 2004 study of 4,746 children eleven to eighteen years old, published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, found that frequent family meals were associated with a lower risk of smoking, drinking, and using marijuana; with a lower incidence of depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts; and with better grades. Another study surveyed twelve- to seventeen-year-olds and found that teenagers who reported eating two or fewer dinners a week with family members were more than one and a half times more likely to smoke, drink, or use illegal substances than were teenagers who ate five to seven family dinners per week." That is a huge impact in the decisions that your child makes from simple meals and conversation and it doesn't have to be dinner. Find what works for your family.

Dress your family in the full armor of God. "Just as you wouldn't send your family out into the world undressed physically, you shouldn't send them out undressed spiritually." says Donna refering to Ephesians 6:14-18. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer are the elements to the armor of God. Try incorporating one of these elements each week and discuss them during your family meal time. They don't have to be in this order, start with what's easiest for you and add an item each week until you've become fully dressed :)

The next three items go hand in hand: practice hospitality, open your home for ministry and host God's servants. Of course, practicing hospitality can be a way to open your home for ministry, but only if you've done what's mentioned in the previous lessons to de-clutter, organize and clean your home and you are maintaining it. Then, hosting God's servants comes naturally after the previous two. Donna provides some insight from Deb Lovett who shares the "props" she considers essential to hospitality (gifts, paper, candles, flowers, food and prayer) and why she believes they are essential. Donna goes on to say, "The purpose, above all else, is that our homes can become a center for God's work in our community...Your home can become central to the work of God in your neighborhood...It means creating an atmosphere of prayer and blessing that immediately grabs the attention of everyone who walks through your front door." Then, as mentioned before, hosting God's servants seems like the next logical step. Once you've gained the experience of hosting your friends and neighbors, your church community, small groups and the like, traveling missionaries, guest speakers and musicians are next!

Just two more weeks to go! Next week's lesson is entitled: Retirement Planning followed by week 13: Finish Strong.

See you next week,

Christina