IPC Messenger
A W eekly P ublication of T he I ndependent P resbyterian C hurch
O ffi c e 912-2 3 6 - 3 3 46 | F a x 912- 236-3676 | E-Mail [email protected] | Website www. ipcsav.org
Volume 17 • No 18
MAY 2017
The Well-Ordered Home
“A
n ardor for order” is how J. I.
Packer characterized the piety of
Puritanism. 1 If we properly are to utilize
the means of grace, establishing both the
family altar and the family pew; if we
properly are to “discipline” and “instruct”
our children (Eph 6:1ff); if we are to
provide them with a “godly example,”
leading to their salvation, then priorities
will have to be established which allow all
of life’s duties and activities to be fulfilled.
We have the demands of our jobs, of our
spouses, of our children, of our church,
and of our community. We primarily are
citizens of the city of God, yet we retain
our responsibilities as citizens of the city
of man. How may we faithfully fulfill all
of our obligations, and do so in a way
that the souls of our children receive our
priority attention?
Order
We may begin by bringing order to
our lives, by establishing “a planned,
well-thought-out flow of activities,”
says Packer, in which all “obligations
are recognized and met, a time is found
for everything that matters.” 2 What do
we mean by order? We mean order as
opposed to chaos; order as opposed to
disorder; order as approved to everyone
doing whatever they want whenever they
want; order as opposed to family members
1 See Johnson, The Family Worship Book,
(Fearn, Ross-Shire, Gr. Britain: Christian Focus
Publications, 1998), 18.
2 Ibid., (slightly modified).
more or less eating, sleeping, playing, and
working (or not working!) when they feel
like it.
By order we mean that every worthwhile
thing has a time and a place. By order
we mean that the family acts in concert,
coordinating its activities to the benefit of
the family as a whole. By order we mean a
well-ordered home, where children join in
decluttering the house, where the Puritan
motto of “cleanliness is next to godliness”
is cherished, and where time is not lost
searching, searching, searching three, four,
five times a day for misplaced objects. By
order we mean that family possessions are
given proper care, extending thereby their
usefulness, eliminating unnecessary trips
to the store and wasteful expenditures of
time and funds. In this fashion we “number
our days” and “redeem the time,” making
the most of our God-given opportunities,
God-given resources, and fulfilling all our
God-given duties (Ps 90:12; Eph 5:16).
Routine
A regular routine makes fulfilling
family responsibilities more likely than
it otherwise would be. We recommend
consistency in the family schedule.
Regular bedtimes, regular mealtimes,
regular playtimes, and predictable
routines are both comforting for children
and freeing for parents. Regular routines
define a child’s world, providing stability
and security. James Dobson offers two
illustrations of how a regular family
routine, with standards of what is allowed
and disallowed, provides a comforting
Continued Page 3
IPC Messenger
CONTENTS
2 Women’s Ministry
3 Music Ministry
4
College and Career
Ministry
5 Student Ministries
6 Family Corner
7 Children’s MInistry
8 - 9 Point Pleasant
10
Announcements
and Events
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