You can do less

Not long after becoming a Christian, I became aware of the most famous, nameless Christian woman. She is the standard. She is the one who either inspires us to keep striving, or makes us cringe from a sense of inadequacy. I had her “name” imprinted on my bible years ago. No pressure. She’s the one who unknowingly led me to write a bible study to refute her. Not really… but kind of. The Proverbs 31 woman is the Christian Superwoman. At least, that’s what we’ve convinced ourselves of.As I recently spent some months in the book of Proverbs for my priority time, I knew I would end with this famous description that I longed to become. After all, she’s that perfect blend of stay-at-home mom meets savvy business developer. She’s an international nocturnal chef. She’s a gardener with great biceps and apparently owns a light bulb with a lifetime guarantee. If you have teenagers, then you know the fact that her children even get out of bed is a miracle in itself! And to think they actually say something nice about their momma when they rise up certainly makes any mom take notice! Who wouldn’t want to be her?This time, though, the Lord showed me something both sweet and convicting. I usually get lost in all she does. I think how tiring it must have been for her… without vitamin B-12 shots to boot! All joking aside, I usually wonder how I can accomplish all of these things for my family…In reality, the beauty of this woman is not found in what she accomplishes. It’s in her attitude. I noted that the description of her included words like delight, no fear, strength, dignity, smiles, looks well. My tendency is to get so caught up in the “doing” that I miss the most important thing that I bring with me into every relationship: my heart.Who cares if I can whip up a gourmet meal if I also mix in enough tension to ruin the evening? (This is, of course, why I refuse to labor in the kitchen… lol!) What good is it to score a major sale if I spend my profit pacifying my kids or spouse out of guilt for my constant preoccupation?The more I ponder the difference between my attitude and my accomplishment, the more convinced I am that my sweet family would take a pleasant Karin over a productive Karin almost every time. What about your family?The reality is that we seldom have to choose one over the other. We can actually use our God-given talents with a pleasant attitude. If you find that you’re drawn to to-do lists, you can be certain that your danger will never be to do too little. Your danger will be “to do” at the cost of your attitude, which equates to the cost of your relationships.I challenge you to ask the Lord to make you a woman who’s able to have strength, dignity, and a smile. I think we’d all be better off and no doubt surprised at how much better life is when we bring a sense of peace and security to all those we know. twitter | facebook