What is a Biblical Homemaker? | 5 Verses on Biblical Homemaking
Growing up I had no idea what a biblical homemaker was. The culture I grew up in was one of a fast-paced, hard-working, career-focused mentality.
But after I got married and moved to a new state, I found more and more people around me were stay-at-home moms. More of the people I was growing friendships with grew up with this focus within their homes.
My first introduction to true biblical homemaking was in reading a book by Sally Clarkson. And the rest snowballed from there!
I dove into the calling of homemaking and motherhood with no holding back. And what I found in Scripture has not only encouraged me tremendously but developed within me a great sense of purpose in each and every day doing the mundane and seemingly insignificant things.
Significance in Biblical Homemaking
Changing diapers. Scrubbing toilets. Folding laundry. Reminding 2-year-olds of the same thing about twenty times (which I’m sure could be said of teenagers).
These things seem so mundane. So boring.
And yet, Scripture calls us to work at all things as if working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23).
Two pieces of encouragement as you begin to dig into the topic of being a biblical homemaker:
1. What you are doing has an ETERNAL impact on your family.
Creating a peaceful home will create an environment for your family to flourish.
Every single thing you do has an eternal impact on your children and your husband.
Don’t let Satan convince you that it doesn’t matter or that your time is better spent doing something else.
As we pour ourselves out for the sake of creating a peaceful and purposeful home, we are answering God’s call to build our homes and creating space for our children and husbands to grow in their knowledge of the Lord.
Related: Powerful Scripture for Moms That Need Encouragement
2. Learn to “love what must be done”
I read this quote in a book and wow it stuck with me! Not even hours later I was washing dishes and really wishing I were outside with my husband and kids on a beautiful evening.
I scrubbed each dish extra hard as I thought about how much I didn’t want to be doing dishes. But this little phrase was on repeat in my mind.
Over and over it played in my head throughout the next week.
And as I sought out purpose in the mundane things of homemaking and motherhood, I found myself beginning to actually love what must be done.
Doing dishes created a clean and orderly kitchen where I could prepare the next home-cooked meal for my family.
Vacuuming floors created a clean and comfortable space for littles to play.
Folding laundry made my husband’s morning routine faster and easier so that he could have a few moments before heading out the door.
Each of these things that needed to be done had a purpose. And I have begun learning to love this purpose!
A Biblical View of Homemaking
Today’s culture looks down upon the “traditional” role of a woman.
To be busy at home is considered to be more like wearing chains than flourishing.
But the Bible tells us a different story.
As Christians, we are called to serve and pour ourselves out for the sake of our neighbors. And who is a closer neighbor than your own family?
Without Scripture’s guiding words, I’d be lost as to how to do this well.
So let’s take a look at Scripture for some encouragement on exactly what is a Biblical homemaker.
Join the 7-Day Free Prayer Challenge: Covered
What if you could: pray in the power of the Lord and actually change things in your family and home? Join me, Mama, in FERVENT and BOLD prayer as we BATTLE for our family.
Our True Goal as Biblical Homemakers
All that we do as homemakers can be summed up as this:
Our purpose is to build and establish a home that understands and knows the Lord.
Our goal is not a clean house, well-behaved kids or a happy husband, but a family who understands and knows the Lord.
And all the things that we do as homemakers, moms and wives can help lead to this.
This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD. -Jeremiah 9:23-24 NIV
There is no need to boast about anything but knowing the Lord intimately. If all that you do points your children to the Lord, then you have lived out your calling well, mama.
It’s so easy to forget this! We can make lists and begin to drown in the unending messes and mundane.
But let each mess you clean and each task you check off point to Christ.
If you can’t see how it does, ask Him to show you.
To Be “Busy at Home”
Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. -Titus 2:4-5 NIV
To be “busy at home” here is also translated as managers of the home or workers at home.
Ellicotts Commentary says this, “Home duties, cares, pleasures, sacrifices of self–these God-appointed duties ought to fill the mind and the heart of the young wife.”
Are the duties of my home and care of my family what fill my mind?
I hate to admit that I often think more about what I’m lacking than I’d like. Self-sacrifice has always been hard for me.
But as I seek out the Lord’s purpose for me, I find the strength and joy in doing just this!
I would encourage you (right alongside myself) to ask God how you can manage your home well right now. What things are going to be the most beneficial for your family?
She Rises Early
She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. -Proverbs 31:15
Right alongside the call to self-sacrifice is the idea of rising early.
Most of the wise mothers that I know have talked about the importance of getting up before the kids. I never knew the power of doing this until I tried it.
To have time while the house is quiet to spend time with the Lord and to prepare for the day is a game-changer.
I feel more energized and joyful throughout my day when I do this – contrary to thinking you will be more tired.
Now there are seasons, like that of having a newborn or going through sickness, where this just doesn’t happen. But I try my hardest to get up before the kids and I see God bless that every day!
Related: Morning Verses to Start Your Day with the Lord
Working with All Your Heart
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. -Colossians 3:23
In all things. Whatever you do. We are to do these things as if we are working for the Lord Almighty Himself!
What a difference that makes in my attitude on those days when I don’t feel appreciated or seen.
I’m not only working for my little human masters…eh hem, I mean, children 😉 but I am working for the Lord.
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ -Matthew 25:40
Jesus echoes this sentiment here. Everything we do for those around us, we do for Him.
Keep that in mind, mama, as you work hard for those tiny little hands and prepare food for those unendingly hungry little boys!
A Note to Working Moms on Biblical Homemaking
I know that feeling, reading about something powerful and convicting and feeling like you’re on the outside looking in.
But if you are working and spend the majority of your daytime hours doing this, don’t let that disqualify you from this calling.
You have the same calling. You are still called to be this for your family.
Working doesn’t have to take away from the calling to biblical homemaking. Don’t get me wrong, you may have to work twice as hard and put forth even more effort.
But the key here is to evaluate if your family is your top priority. If your home is managed well.
There are seasons when things will be busy and you will be working more. If you are able to work it out so that you can be home with your family, that is a tremendous blessing and I would encourage you to explore this option!
It requires sacrifice and a whole lot of it. But seek out the Lord’s will for you in this because if God is calling you to stay home with your family, He has a reason.
Believe me, you don’t want to miss God’s calling for you no matter how much sacrifice it involves!
With that said, there are so many godly mamas that I know to be amazing examples of biblical homemakers who work full-time.
It’s not impossible, it will just take that much more dedication, organization and trust in the Lord.
Practical Tips for the Biblical Homemaker
So let’s get practical. I’m going to talk more about this in my upcoming post, How to Be a Godly Homemaker, but let’s take a moment to talk through some practical steps.
1. Get up early
Set your alarm and do whatever it takes to pull your sleepy self out of bed!
Maybe you need an automatic coffee maker or a shower to wake yourself up. But getting into a routine of getting up early is a game-changer.
I like to use this time to do devotions, get dressed, prep breakfast and get some writing done.
Whatever it is that you find most useful in this time, it is time you won’t find anywhere else in your day!
Related: She Laughs Without Fear of the Future
2. Keep things tidy
Use systems, charts, checklists and work hard to keep your home tidy.
I struggle with this as I know many of you do too. Things just accumulate. One minute the table is clean and the next there is a stack of mail and bills and receipts from who-knows-where!
Tidy as you go.
Start each day with one thing – whether it be throwing a load of laundry in or unloading the dishes.
Get your kids involved.
Get rid of junk or unnecessary things.
A tidy home is a great starting place for that sense of peace and comfort. It’s a great place to feel inspired, welcome and ready to connect.
3. Make a list of what matters most in your homemaking
I made a list of what household matters are under my care.
Having this on paper helped me to see how I can fit these into my daily routine and schedule. For me this list included:
- Cooking
- Cleaning
- Meal-prep
- Caring for the children
- Teaching the children
- Budgeting
- Earning a side income
- Decorating
- Grocery shopping
- And more
I then made a list of how I can best live out my purpose in biblical homemaking for each member of the family.
Our purpose is to build and establish a home that understands and knows the Lord. All things must point to this.
How can you best do this for yourself? Your husband? Your children?
Myself
- Read the Word daily
- Memorize Scripture
- Pray, pray, pray
- Counsel from godly women
My husband
- Create a peaceful environment with time/space to spend with God
- Pray together
- Love him as I’m called – serve him and submit to him
- Pray for him
My children
- Teach them Bible phrases/verses
- Read to them about Jesus
- Pray with them more
- Worship music and songs
- Talk to them about Jesus
- Good and effective discipline
What is a Biblical Homemaker?
A biblical homemaker is one who seeks to love and serve their family.
A biblical homemaker is one who cares for and manages their home well.
A biblical homemaker is a powerful calling that has an eternal impact.
What has been an encouraging Scripture for you as you seek to be a biblical homemaker?
Join the 7-Day Free Prayer Challenge: Covered
What if you could: pray in the power of the Lord and actually change things in your family and home? Join me, Mama, in FERVENT and BOLD prayer as we BATTLE for our family.
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