Discipline, Questions, and Answers
“Endure hardship as discipline.”
Hebrews 12:7 (NIV)
Last week I was privileged to speak to a group of young professional women who are entrepreneurs and small business owners. Some of them are graphic design artists, wedding photographers, calligraphers, brand consultants, and event planners. Most of them are married and have children. And while their occupations and marital status varied, their questions did not. They are all struggling to maintain a proper work and life balance as they juggle families, careers, and busy lives.
Today’s Bible Bits is a compilation of questions I was asked. The young women were asking questions for their particular season of life, but the principles I shared have served me well throughout each season of my life.
How did you maintain a quiet time?
As a young mom, I learned that a quiet time requires three things: a quiet place, a quiet time, and a quiet heart, but honestly, my quiet times have looked very different during some life seasons. Having three children in less than five years didn’t allow much time for quiet anything! But I do remember being so desperate for God at one point that my quiet time in that season of life was often after the baby’s 2AM feeding. I would slip out of the nursery, quickly close the bathroom door, stuff towels under the door to block out the light, and just sit on the bathroom floor with my Bible, asking God to meet me where I was. It was a quiet place, but my heart was usually anything but! Eventually the 2AM time became 4:30 or 5:30AM, depending on how early my children were getting up. The one thing I do know about spending time in God’s Word is that much like exercise, if you don’t want to, then you aren’t going to! If you’re struggling with a lack of desire to study God’s Word, pray that God will give you a hunger for His Word and start with just 5 minutes. Ask God to meet you where you are. Even a bathroom floor becomes holy ground when God is there!
One practical strategy I recommend is to reach for your Bible BEFORE you reach for your phone! It sounds easy, but it requires discipline.
When you look back what do you remember? Life with small children was exhausting, but God was always faithful. As someone once noted, “The days were long, but the years were short!”
What are some practical ways we can SLOW down our families in this busy “rushed” world?
Limit your social media and screen time.
Try to maximize your minutes. I kept scripture memory cards in my lab coat pocket so I could practice my scripture memory verses while I was waiting on our hospital elevators. My office was on the 17th floor of the hospital, so I spent a lot of time waiting (and memorizing) on elevators! Ask God to show you ways to maximize your minutes.
Bruce and I implemented a nightly family “pick-up” drill that began immediately after dinner. For 15 minutes, the six of us would go as hard as we could to empty trash cans, fold and put away laundry, vacuum, or clean a bathroom. Even James Bruce could pick up toys, take out trash, or bring up laundry baskets from the basement. Six people working 15 minutes each night represented 1.5 hours of work. The key to our success was my husband’s buy-in. It was his idea and he assigned penalty minutes of extra work to anyone who didn’t give it his or her best during the first 15 minutes.
As the children grew and became more involved in athletics and extracurricular activities, we also implemented a weekly Sunday night family meeting to make sure we were all on the same page with our calendars and commitments. Each child was limited to only having one extra activity outside of school.
Meal planning and organization was essential for me to have some calm in our chaos. I had a simple list of “go to” meals that included quick fix regulars such as spaghetti, tacos, and grilled burgers. Chili was a mainstay for my teenage sons. Meals at home not only helped us with our budget, but also with our time management.
If I could give young moms only one piece of advice, it would be the same counsel that Elisabeth Elliot once gave me: “Discipline your emotions and do your next thing.” Whenever my heart was “churning and burning,” I turned Elliot’s counsel into a prayer: “Lord, help me to discipline my emotions and do my next thing whatever it is.” That prayer became a lifeline whether I was working at the hospital, driving carpools, cooking supper, parenting, or advocating for James Bruce.
What is the Lord teaching you currently? Steward this life season; invest in others; focus; and finish well.
What is your favorite book of the Bible to study? Whichever one I am currently studying. Right now, that is Ephesians.
To someone just getting back started spending time with Jesus where do you recommend to start?
John’s Gospel presents Jesus as the Word of God, Lamb of God, and the great I AM.