Creating Balance Between Home and Ministry

Originally posted 9/2006

A women's primary role is to her home. The home is a great task alone. However, many women today are called to the ministry. Whether it is teaching, preaching, ministering music, etc., many women are called to areas within the ministry that requires much preparation.
There is an old saying, "There aren't enough hours in a day!" God knew what he was doing when he gave man 24 hours per day and created our bodies to rest at least 8 hours of that day. That means we have 16 hours of wake hours. If you daily feel overwhelmed, not rested, and stressed by all the assignments you have taken on, then perhaps you are doing more than

what God has intended for you to do.

Here are some keys to getting balance:

1. Don’t over commit yourself. When asked to do something in the church there is an option opposite to yes-----NO. The person asking for your time is most likely not aware of your previous commitments. It is your responsibility not to take on more than you can handle. The truth of the matter, you will not be able to adequately give attention to an assignment of you are overloaded. Consider scaling back on some of your commitments. How is this done? Ask yourself these questions

a. Is it worth my time?
b. What will be the impact on my family?
c. Is it a part of my purpose?

2. Prioritize your activities. Disorganization in our scheduling of activities will allow non-essential things to crowd into our date book before the really important things. (So you have a date book that you regularly upkeep? ) Decide what is most important to you. I usually place quiet time with God, my husband, and my family above church work. As ministry workers we must be careful of spending too much of our time ministering to the needs of others while never ministering within our own homes. The family comes first.

3. Keep a monthly calendar. Know what other family members are doing. Have a weekly schedule of activities. Have weekly planning meetings with your spouse to determine who will be where and what activities the family will do together. This is a must for my husband and me. We are an extremely busy family, therefore everything must come together on a calendar.
When we did not sit together and plan out our calendar, he would forget to tell me about meetings our even upcoming out of town trips. I thought he was being insensitive, but he really just forgot. Now that we meet each week, I am not surprised when he misses dinner because of a meeting, or he knows when he needs to be home with the kids because I have an engagement.