Job Rating: Time for the Annual Review

God created Adam.   Then God created Eve--out of the man.   He put them together in a beautiful place.  

God also created marriage.   He set Adam as the head-of-the-household.  He created Eve specifically to complement Adam--so that the two of them would be a complete unit.   Their marriage was perfect when they followed God's design.

JOB RATING:  Is my marriage in line with God's design?

God is clear in His word what He desires for our marriages and families and homes to be like.  When we follow His divine plan, we are MUCH better off;  when we learn and obey God's will for our lives, we are MUCH happier.  Our homes are sanctuaries of peace and hope.     When we go "outside" of God's will and create our own design or follow the world's design--that is when we get into trouble, when our family life begins to fall apart, when we're dissatisfied with our "lot in life."     

JOB RATING:    Is my home a sanctuary from the world's woes?  

 

In Titus chapter 2, the apostle Paul talks about "older women" ** see note below **   who are godly examples in both speech and actions who should train younger women to love their husbands and children,  how to be self-controlled, busy at home (not busybodies!), and kind--all done in such a way that "no one will malign the Word of God."    All older women who believe in the One True God should live as examples in the way we talk about our marriage, our husband, our children, child-raising, pregnancy, home-life.   

JOB RATING:  Am I maligning God's word 

by complaining about my household chores, 

my husband or my children?   

Tender ears (either our little or teen daughters and young adult-women) hear our complaints when we whine about

• doing the laundry, the dishes, cleaning, gardening, summer months
• changing diapers, baby not sleeping through the night, the agonies of labor & delivery, newborn colic, toddler tantrums, teenagers
• being "stuck at home," not being appreciated, our college education "going to waste"
• Daddy's hours of work or overtime, his hobbies, travel for work
• how much better things would be "if" or "if only"

and sadly we are maligning God's Word, AND -- EVEN WORSE-- we are showing and telling these young women that being a wife and mother is a miserable, wretched, awfully hard, unpaid, under-appreciated, no-one-with-a-brain-in-her-head-would-want-this job.

JOB RATING:  Am I maligning God's word 

by making disparaging comments 

about 'my job'?  

WATCH WHAT YOU SAY!!! Your words "instruct" and "train" and "teach" those who are listening when you jest and tease and make "off-hand" remarks.  Nix the sarcasm.  Nix the complaining. Nix the angst. Rejoice in the LORD!


WATCH WHAT YOU DO! Not only are infant eyes eagerly following you around the room as you putter with making dinner, little daughters model themselves after you!   Teen girls, your daughter's friends, your son's girlfriend or fiance --yes--Yes--YES INDEED!-- they are ALL looking to you whether they ask outright or just watch you from the other side of the room.  Remember, Jesus IS watching, too!

WATCH WHAT YOU THINK!   It affects your actions and words.   If your attitude is deplorable, work on changing it.  Instead of being crabby be an encourager. Give compliments daily.  Notice NICE things.   Cultivate a "Gratitude Attitude" in yourself first and then your children.      

Your children reflect YOU and YOUR ATTITUDE.   If your kids are whiners--you probably taught them how to do it!  I just saw a quote worth repeating:  

"What would happen if you woke up this morning 

with ONLY the people and things 
you thanked God for yesterday?"  

JOB RATING:  Am I maligning God's word 

by having a thankless attitude?

How you live matters--tremendously!   You are affecting your children, their future spouses, your grandchildren AND great-grandchildren--and many future generations--as well as anyone who passes through your life including your friends and acquaintances, your daughter's friends, your son's girlfriends, your children's marriages, your girl-friends children, the gal who sits behind you in church, the teen in your Bible class, the clerk at the bank or grocery store!  Think about the enormity and VALUE of your job!

JOB RATING:  What legacy am I leaving?  

How do I WANT to be remembered?
How WILL I be remembered?
 

Love your husband and children--

in words, in actions, in deeds and in truth.

Put the best construction on 

what you say, do and think all the time.

** Older women --in my humble opinion-- would be any woman (teen or adult) who is older than the other females in a group.   Therefore a 30-year old mom is the "older woman" to her daughters and daughters' friends.  A teen girl is the "older woman" when teaching her 5-year old sister to wash dishes or put away clean clothes the way Momma wants it done.   Likewise, a middle-aged woman is the "younger woman" when in the presence of her elders.   This means we are all filling a role--no matter how old or young we are--and we are all expected to be aware of the way we live and  how others see us....so no one can malign the Word of God.