Good Housekeepers

My wife and I have been married nearly 32 years, so when a group of college students asked us to participate in a light-hearted version of The Newlywed Game, we not only agreed; we felt confident. Over-confident, it turns out.

Candy and I know each other so well, we were sure we would agree about any questions thrown our way. I followed nonchalantly when those in charge ushered me out of the room along with the other men while our wives responded to the questions.

When I sat down with the rest of the panel, though, I realized I wasn't prepared for tricky questions like, "What percentage of the housework would your wife say you do on a regular basis?"

Before answering, I insisted on a clarification. Did "housework" include outdoor chores—mowing the lawn, trimming the hedges, raking leaves? "No," the moderator said, "only the tasks you do inside your home."

"Then I'd say about 30 percent," I replied.

My wife groaned and held up the card containing her answer: "10 percent." Evidently I'm not as good a housekeeper as I thought.

Housekeeping was a familiar concept in biblical times. The Greek word for "house" or "home" was oikos. The word for "rule" or "law" was nomos. Put them together and you have oikonomos—"household ruler," someone who manages a household.

That's the word Jesus used in the Gospels when he talked about the "faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants" (Luke 12:42). It's the word Paul used in 1 Corinthians 4:2 when he wrote, "it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful" (King James Version). Furthermore, oikonomos is the root of our English word "economy," for it refers to managing the material resources of a household or a larger organization.

Are you a good housekeeper for the Lord? Are you careful, prayerful, and faithful with your resources? Here are three ways to tell.

1. Check your checkbook. The numbers don't lie. Are you living within your means? Are you honoring God with the firstfruits of your income? If an objective observer scrutinized your checkbook, would your spending patterns make it obvious that you love the Lord and love your neighbors?
2. Budge your budget. Good stewardship doesn't just happen. It requires a conscious decision to spend less, give more, and invest your resources strategically in the Lord's work. Has your generosity increased in proportion to your income? Have you made it your goal to "excel in this grace of giving" (2 Corinthians 8:7)?
3. Challenge your calendar. Time is your most precious commodity. Does your calendar reflect a healthy balance of worship and work, self-care and unselfish service, time for action and time for reflection?

Candy and I finished last in The Newlywed Game. We even lost to a couple who had been randomly thrown together that evening—who were neither married nor dating. After all these years, I still have some things to learn. What about you?