The Secret to Having Peace at Home
Do you dream about peace? World peace would be wonderful, but you’d be happy with a little peace at home.
Imagine what it would be like if only . . . The kids would stop fighting. Your spouse would be more encouraging. Your house would magically clean itself, and the laundry was always fresh and in the closet.
Jesus said, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27
I believe that Jesus is talking about personal peace that comes from placing our complete trust in Him. I also believe that we can rob ourselves of personal peace by allowing chaos and clutter to take over our homes.
So, I’ve come up with an acrostic (of course if did, I love them) to help you remember the secret to having peace at home:
1. P – Pray – I believe praying for peace is like praying for patience. Although there are times when God simply covers us with His peace, I also believe He often gives us opportunities to practice peace. When you find yourself on your knees in need of lasting peace, ask God to guide and direct your choices. Ask Him to help you organize your life so that peace can become a reality and not just a dream.
Although there are times when God simply covers us with His peace, I also believe He often gives us opportunities to practice peace. When you find yourself on your knees in need of lasting peace, ask God to guide and direct your choices. Ask Him to help you organize your life so that peace can become a reality and not just a dream.
2. E – Edit – When I write, I type like a crazy woman and then I go back and delete, delete, delete.
If your to-do list overwhelms you, consider it a first draft and ask yourself if there are things you can remove. It is impossible to be all things to all people. Say “no.” People will survive. I promise. This is especially hard for people pleasers like me, but it is worth it.
3. A – Ask for Help – Enlist the help of your family and friends. They may not be supportive at first, but remember “if mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” Give your children “chores?” They are a good thing. Maybe they won’t clean to
They may not be supportive at first, but remember “if mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” Give your children “chores?” They are a good thing. Maybe they won’t clean to your standard of perfection, but it’s better than it not getting done at all, or having a mom who is cranky and tired from trying to do it all herself.
Ask a friend to carpool with you to cut down on your drive time. Ask your family and friends for ideas and suggestions. In fact, let’s share a few here. Leave a comment and tell us some of the ways your family helps to keep your to-do list manageable.
4. C – Create an Atmosphere for Peace – Rev and I make clutter removal and organization continuous projects.
Less stuff means less chaos. Set aside at least one day each month to go through your house and get rid of the things you’re not using. Encourage your children to give away toys they don’t use and clothes they don’t wear. Make sure everything has a place, if it doesn’t, get rid of it. Then end each day with a quick walk through to put things away and keep your home uncluttered.
5. E – Encourage Yourself – Most of these efforts happen in baby steps. I used to try to do projects like this all at once, and I would drive my family crazy. Baby steps deserve rewards.
Once you’ve done some calendar editing and clutter removal . . . celebrate! Plan an easy dinner of family favorites. Have a game or movie night. Lay out under the stars and talk to one another. Just be together, and declare at least a couple of hours phone free.
The secret to lasting peace is refusing to surrender to the chaos. Don’t give in. And don’t give up.
Pray for godly wisdom to intentionally organize your calendar and clutter in ways that will bless your family and glorify God. Then get started.
I promise you a peace-filled home is well worth the effort.
One of my favorite posts of yours. Considering your to do list a first draft? Brilliant! Another thing that helps so much is spending time with friends who can relate.
Mel, You are such a great encourager and friend. Thank you!!
I really like the edit one, Deb! That’s a great idea. I used to have some great systems for the kids when they were all home. One of them was that each kid cooked one dinner a week. Since I had 4 kids that left me with only 3 dinners to cook – and sometimes my husband cooked one! This went on for 8 or 9 years until a couple of kids had left home. The kids actually liked it as they were proud of their cooking skills and all became competent cooks. I’m not sure it would have worked if the kids had gone to school, but since mine were homeschooled, it worked great.
Barb, I love your tip for having your children take turns cooking. Learning to do their own laundry is another help for moms besides being an important life skill. Now my goal for this week is to take my own advice and spend a little time editing my to do list. 🙂
WOW! This is my first time to visit your blog and it is awesome! Thank you so much for writing this post, it was wonderful!
Thanks for your kind encouragement, Sarah. You made my day!
C – Creating an atmosphere for peace is HUGE for me! When there are too many toys around the house or I don’t have time to pick up, put away, and organize things, I get very cranky and irritable, and do not feel any peace. I try not to bring too much into our home, and the church rummage sale is my friend for getting rid of things. My youngest son picked up the house all on his own last night without me asking for help. I cannot express how much I am enjoying sitting in my clean, organized, toy free living room right now! 🙂 I feel very much at peace at this moment (partly due to my uncluttered space, but mostly due to my sweet boy!).
Kellie, I completely agree. Clutter can rob our calm as quickly as conflict. How blessed you are to have a little man who understands and wanted to do that for you. That is a moment to cherish and remember.