The Christian Homemaker + How to Be A Good Homemaker

Being a homemaker, in my opinion, is a great privilege. A homemaker is someone who makes a home and as women of God, I believe we are all called to homemakers. That’s why today I’m sharing a few thoughts on what it means to be a Christian homemaker. Learning how to be a good homemaker takes time and practice, but it is possible!

Homemaking is a Ministry @ AVirtuousWoman.org

I’ve almost always been a stay-at-home mom and I feel so blessed to have been able to stay home with my children. But whether you stay at home full time or work outside the home, homemaking is important work. And while I have been a stay at home mom, I am also a work at home mom and I understand what it’s like to struggle to manage a home while juggling homeschooling and a business.

One of my 10 Virtues of the Proverbs 31 Woman is Homemaking. And as a Christian homemaker, we are to strive to provide a pleasant home and offer and an inviting atmosphere within the walls of our home to the best of our abilities. Home should be a haven – a respite from the world.

“She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.” Proverbs 31:27

Christian Homemaking

Homemaking is about more than just cleaning a house. It’s about making a home where the people who live there feel warm, loved, and safe to be themselves. Each member of your family needs room to learn and grow in Christ.

I’ve been a homemaker for over two decades now. That’s a long time! I didn’t always enjoy my role as a homemaker and honestly – there are times it still feels tedious!

But over the years I’ve come to realize that homemaking is just as important as any other type of ministry because as the wife and mother – the way our family feels at home speaks volumes about how we minister to their needs.

Does your home feel safe, peaceful, full of laughter, and welcoming to the weary soul? If not, it’s time to do some major clean-up! And sometimes it’s not just our house that needs a good cleaning. More often than not, our hearts are in need of a good scrubbing too.

Home should be made all that the word implies. It should be a little heaven upon earth, a place where the affections are cultivated instead of being studiously repressed. Our happiness depends upon this cultivation of love, sympathy, and true courtesy to one another.

The sweetest type of heaven is a home where the Spirit of the Lord presides. If the will of God is fulfilled, the husband and wife will respect each other and cultivate love and confidence.

— Signs of the Times, Ellen White, June 20, 1911

How to Be a Good Homemaker

Homemaking 101

So while homemaking entails much more than just keeping your house neat and clean, you and your family will be happier, have less stress, and you’ll feel good about having friends, family, or even the pastor drop in to visit if you spend time each day maintaining a clean house. A tidy house is easier to clean than a messy house.

In her book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo says, “I never tidy my room. Why? Because it is already tidy. The only tidying I do is once or sometimes twice a year and for a total of about one hour each time… I feel happy and content. I have time to experience bliss in my quiet space, where even the air feels fresh and clean; time to sit and sip herbal tea while I reflect on my day.”

And while I believe that Christians should be careful when using the KonMari Method, she has a good point! I’ve said it for years. A tidy house is easier to clean than a messy house.

But how do you keep a house tidy when life is so busy? Perhaps you’ve struggled for years to get your home under control and you feel discouraged. I want you to know you are not alone!

When I first became a homemaker, I had no idea what I was doing! And so many young women have entered the roles of homemaker, wife, and mother without really having the skills and knowledge they need to do the job well.

The good news is that it can all be learned… and as you build your knowledge it will get easier! You really can learn to be a good homemaker. You can start today.

Keeping a Tidy House

Keeping a neat house really boils down to having the self-discipline needed to do task immediately instead of procrastinating.

I’ll be honest and tell you that I’m not a naturally organized person. In fact, truth be told, one of the reasons I started A Virtuous Woman so many years ago was to help myself be more accountable in my homemaking skills and family life. I really didn’t know how to be a good homemaker.

I struggled every day to get the basics done.

Sometimes I still struggle.

I would much rather be reading a book, taking a walk, or playing with my kids than I would cleaning the bathroom, folding laundry, or even organizing a drawer. Ugh. Not my idea of fun!

Over the years I’ve learned that sometimes you just have to do what you don’t want to do and get it over with. It’s called self-discipline.

The other lesson I’ve learned is that lists make it easier for me to remember what I need to do when I need to do it. I don’t want to say I’m scatterbrained, but if it’s not written down, or set as an alarm, I will probably get distracted and forget to do it. I’m so easily distracted! Anyone else?

How to Be a Good Homemaker

Being a good homemaker means that you give thought and care to the well being of your home as well as your family members.

Homemaking is the deliberate cultivation of beauty and productivity in family relationships. Homemaking is about helping your family feel loved and comforted. Homemaking is about celebrating each other, and about caring for each other, as well as for your friends and extended families and even the occasional stranger. Anyone can keep house. Not everyone bothers to make a home. – Holly Schurter, quoted from the book Professionalizing Motherhood by Jill Savage

When Homemaking Feels Mundane

Some days, homemaking just feels… mundane.

I don’t know if it was the fact that the sun was not shining, that I was tired from lack of sleep last night, or that I’m recovering from a nasty cold all week, but I just didn’t feel like cleaning the house today.

But the house really needed a good cleaning.

In just a few days my house will be filled with people I love. There will be twenty of us in this house for five days. If I don’t start out with a relatively neat space, there’s no way I’ll be able to keep up once everyone arrives.

About mid afternoon I knew I needed to get started. So I prayed. I asked God to give me the strength and the discipline to get it done.

And you know what? He did.

God cares about your daily struggles. He is always there, waiting to lift the burden from your heart. Homemaking isn’t as much about the daily mundane tasks as it is about your heart being willing to make your house a home.

Housework will always need to be done. Anyone can scrub toilets or vacuum floors. God is not impressed by the work of our hands. He wants to see a woman whose heart is ready to serve in the most humble of tasks because while Christ was the King of Kings he came and willingly served.

As a wife and mother, I have been called to the ministry of homemaking. No matter in what other capacities I may serve, homemaking will always be a part of who I am.

This past week as I was listening to Ann Voskamp talk in a podcast, I was reminded of an article I had read by her earlier this year that had really touched my heart. You can read the entire article here.

Ann Voskamp is the author of One Thousand Gifts Devotional – which I love by the way! It’s simply a lovely book. She is also the author of A Holy Experience blog. Her writing is, in a word, poignant.

Here’s a quote:

I lay my hand on the page, on a duck breast puffed, mother plunging beak in deep, and I say it out loud: “How else did you think nests were lined?”

With leftovers.

That’s what I thought.

With feathers discarded, the molted, the not-so-necessary feathers.

I thought mother ducks picked feathers up from what was laying about, scraps, lining nests with what simply could be mustered after the fact.

But no. No, a mother duck plucks each feather out from the heart of her bosom.

She lines the nest with bits of herself — the best of herself.

A mother cups her brood not with leftovers — but with her own sacrifice.

Isn’t that beautiful?

I thought so, too.

I want to encourage you (and myself) to give your family the very best of yourself. Pluck feathers from your breast, instead of giving them the leftovers – give them the best you have to offer.

One of my favorite songs is Lead Me by Sanctus Real. I love the line that says,

“I’ll show them I’m willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me, ’cause I can’t do this alone.”

Sunday Planning & Prep for the Week

I usually take some time on Sunday afternoon to make plans for the rest of the week. I sit down at the table with my planner, some cookbooks, any reminders I’ve written myself the week before and I write everything down. I have two planners: my weekly homemaking planner and my blog planner.

Sunday Planning @ AVirtuousWoman.org

This includes my plans for housekeeping, projects I’m working on, our menu plan for the week, my shopping list, to do lists, blog plans, and all of our daily appointments.

I write things down so I don’t have to remember them. It frees my mind!

When I do this, my weeks run smoother. Creating a menu plan is probably the #1 thing I do to save time and we eat better when I make a plan.

Meal times are so important. Family meal times are about more than eating food to fuel our bodies – although that’s important too.

Families connect around the table. They are drawn closer to each other through conversation, food, and just being together. I love connecting with my kids around the table and I love feeding them food they love that’s good for them!

That’s why menu planning is so important to me! By planning ahead, I know what I need to do. I know what each day’s meals will be when I wake up in the morning which means I’m not standing in front of the refrigerator trying to come up with a good idea 30 minutes before we want to eat.

Our families are blessed when we are intentional about homemaking. From choosing the perfect recipes, to making the bed, decorating or cleaning the bathroom, homemaking is a ministry.

The Purpose 31 Homemaking Planner

For years I struggled to remember to do my chores on a weekly basis. When was the last time I washed the sheets? Did I remember to switch the laundry over? I had an appointment yesterday???

I tried different planners – all to no avail.

It would start out really well. The pretty blank pages of my planner would call to me, inspire me, invite me to write on them…. until the honeymoon wore off and I realized that the design of the planner did not fit my mom lifestyle.

I didn’t have tons of appointments to remember during the day.

I needed to remember to wipe the bathroom down.

Because going to the park seemed like a lot more fun.

I needed to remember what I was cooking for supper – and even what I needed to take out of the freezer to thaw.

I needed to remember what my routines were and what we were planning for the week. I needed to remember if my child had a doctor’s appointment or to pick up a gift for their music teacher.

And that’s how the Purpose 31 Homemaking Planner was born. I designed the Homemaking Planner with the messy homemaker in mind – the one who wanted to stay on top of chores, but struggled to know what to do.

The Purpose 31 Homemaking Planner Printable New Layout @ AVirtuousWoman.org

With it’s tried and true, thoughtfully designed pages, the Purpose 31 Planner will help inspire you to live with purpose and live with intention while navigating all of your weekly responsibilities of running a home and managing your family. From homemaking to meal planning and budgeting, this planner is just what you need to keep your life organized!

The Purpose 31 Planners will help you:

  • work toward goals in your relationships, at home, and spiritual life
  • keep track of daily appointments and household chores
  • plan your weekly menus
  • determine your financial goals and budget accordingly

With weekly and monthly planning for homemaking, to do lists, and more, you’ll find plenty of room to write down all of that important stuff you want to remember – so you have time for those things that really matter.

You can purchase The Purpose 31 Homemaking Planner and all of the Purpose 31 printable planners here.

Here at A Virtuous Woman, you’ll find lots of help finding peace in your heart and peace in your home.

The Ministry of Homemaking Facebook Group

This group is meant to uplift you as a homemaker. Whether you work outside the home, stay home full-time, or work at home like I do, I want the women who join to feel loved and encouraged.

  • This group is for women who want to make home a special place for their family; who recognize that homemaking is a ministry.
  • This group is also for women who are currently struggling with staying motivated at home or maybe feel overwhelmed by different homemaking tasks.
  • Also, you can post your questions and offer suggestions to encourage others.

If you’d like to join and be an active memberCLICK HERE.

Homemaking is a Ministry

Maintenance is the key to happy homemaking. Remember, a mixing bowl only takes seconds to wash if you do it as soon as the batter is in the baking dish. A floor is easier mop if there isn’t several weeks of crusted dried food and grime stuck it. The table top is easier to clean if you do it everyday and keep the clutter from piling up.

Your family deserves a neat home. {Notice I did not say perfect.} You minister to your family every time you perform an act of service at home whether it be swishing the toilet, cooking a meal, washing the dishes or laundry, dusting, or lighting a candle.

The Proverbs 31 Woman Looks Well to the Ways of Her Household

Here are some articles to get you started:

  1. How to Stay Motivated at Home
  2. The Ministry of Homemaking
  3. The Kitchen Sink
  4. The Proverbs 31 Woman & Homemaking
  5. The Ways of Her Household

Here at A Virtuous Woman, you’ll find plenty of helpful articles and tools to help you clean your house, get organized, and find peace at home. Not to mention hundreds of free printables!

Want even more great ideas? Follow my board on Pinterest, The Homemaker’s Notebook!

Free Printable A Simple Morning Routine Guide

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4 Comments

  1. So true that homemaking is a ministry to the family! It makes it much more joyful when we think of it that way. I will say that as a pastor's wife, I would definitely never judge someone's house if I dropped in and it was messy :)
  2. Hi, I am really hoping someone can help me. I am married, God willing, eight years this May and have been physically thirty years in March. I cannot work it out at all. How do I uphold and obey Proverbs 31? If anyone can help me I would be so glad. I do not mean to embarrass anyone. I am a Christian almost forty years. Thank you

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