Family Balance
I have been meditating on psalms 127 +128 off and on for a few days. I will write them here for reference.
Psalm127
1 Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late (lit. delay sitting), to eat the bread of painful labors (lit. toils); for He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.
3 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD; the fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.
5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they shall not be ashamed, when they speak with their enemies in the gate.
Psalm 128
1 How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in His ways.
2 When you shall eat of the fruit (lit. labor) of your hands, you will be happy and it will be well with you.
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine, within (lit. in the innermost parts of) your house, your children like olive plants around your table.
4 Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD.
5 The LORD bless you from Zion, and may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
6 Indeed, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!
I see here in these two psalms the balance in a family between work and rest. Both psalms speak to the blessings of fearing the LORD and of family life. Psalm 127 accentuates trusting in the LORD to build and provide for that family, while Psalm 128 highlights the productivity of a family who fears the LORD. I think that both scenarios have love and trust at the center. In fact, I believe they show us a different view of the same scene. Psalm 127 says that it is vain to rise up early, to delay sitting. I don’t think Solomon is advocating laziness. I think he is rebuking working outside of the grace of God. The Bible tells us that God even gives us the ability to work. Here in this psalm it shows Him giving even sleep to His beloved. The point being that God will give us what we need when we trust and obey Him, whether that be the ability to work in providing for our family or the much needed rest from the labors of raising a family. When I sense a need or prompting to sit down, even with the endless work before me, if I do not sit down, but rather push forward, this is when I get in trouble. This is when I am operating in my own strength and not the strength of God. When I am resting, and I sense a prompting to rise and work, if I do not, then once again I get in trouble. I then begin to reap the discipline of disobedience and consequences of laziness.
Having to deal with diabetes has been a good indicator for me of how I’m doing in this area. If I work too much, my blood sugar plummets and I get very hard to deal with. If I sit too long, then my blood sugar will be high, and I will feel bad.
Learning to walk in this balance is necessary to (1) be happy as a family (psalm 128:2), (2) train my children as spiritual warriors (psalm 127:4), and (3) stay around on this earth long enough to see my children’s children (psalm 128:6), as well as to (4) abide in the Lord (psalm 127:1) and bear fruit (psalm 128:2).
I’m glad I’m finally learning this, for I have really suffered from working in my own strength.
I’ve seen my husband apply this principle throughout our marriage. Soon after we were married, he became a teacher and I became a homemaker. I can’t remember a time in eight years when this arrangement has met all the needs of our family. Therefore, we have always had to have some source of additional income. God has always supplied all of our needs. Sometimes it came through a second or third job for Jeff and sometimes through family or the body of Christ giving to us. As the leader of our family, Jeff has sought the Lord during each season of life as to His will regarding whether or not to seek or take a second or third job. Jeff is always willing to work, but he understands that he cannot seek work over seeking God. And there are times when working that second or third job would be detrimental to our family or ministry. Jeff has been obedient to the Lord’s leading, even if it seemed we should do otherwise. I am thankful for how this has blessed and provided for our family, as well as for his example of simple trust and obedience to me and our children.
