Put Up A Fence
Don’t miss the wisdom this blog will contain over the next six weeks. From now until the end of May is one of the busiest seasons for many of you, especially if you are a parent of school-aged children or a teacher.
So, here at The Boot, we want to make it a bit easier for you.
This week let’s focus on the purpose of fences. Stay with me on this.
One of the ways we stress ourselves out is we get too involved and focused on other people’s business. In today’s digital world, everybody puts their business in the public square, so it’s easy to be a busybody.
Our Scripture this week is from 1 Thessalonians 4: 11, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and work with your hands…” It sounds so calming doesn’t it?
Does anyone today lead a quiet life? Do you? Between text alerts and social media beeps, everyone else’s business tweets it’s way into your quiet time, into your time with your children, and into your bedroom.
In the old days, people kept their business private. Conversations were contained in the home across the kitchen table or in letter form. People had fences to mark their yard. It was clear, what happened on their side of the fence was their business, not anyone else’s.
As a child, I walked the streets of my small town without fear. And, I learned early in life, a fence means you stay out.
The Godly wisdom for this week is to put up a fence. Stop keeping up with everybody’s kids and their vacations. Stop drooling over their new kitchen remodel or their latest photo of what they ate last night. Truly, it isn’t any of your business. Yes, your “friends” have posted their personal business on a public forum, but you can choose not to view it or care. Do not make their business your business.
Raise your hand if you need less stress. Okay, I see you.
Here’s what to do this week:
- Focus more time on your own children and family
- Visualize ways to erect fences in your life. Maybe you need to stop following certain people on social media or mute your alerts during the evenings
- Do not concern yourself with what is on the other side of your fences
- Always take daily walks and spend quiet time with God
The Father himself tells us to lead a quiet life, so go ahead and take Him up on it.
Love y’all,
Ginny
The Conversation
Thanks for your insightful words to the wise, Ginny. Fences are good. They keep out the wolves.
Yes. Wolves must be kept out.
Ginny
I’m enjoying the blog. Your Mama would be so proud.
Thank you for this work. I am learning a lot and being blessed by this this. Keep it coming.
Am learning a lot
Thanks Linda! I appreciate your kind words of encouragement.
Ginny
Love this!
[…] week’s blog post, “Build A Fence” gave you some hints on minimizing outside distraction and, more importantly, following the […]
[…] because we live with our phone attached to us. We even get anxious if it isn’t. I wrote in Put Up A Fence how we need to fence off our personal lives from the web and to decrease our interest in other […]