"Do You Work?"--The Art of Homemaking Part 1

If you are like me, you probably get that question a lot! How does a stay-at-home mom answer that question? You know that yes, you indeed do work, but not according to the world's standards--i.e., no paycheck. But I want to encourage you, dear sisters, that you are doing the most important work of all! Scripture is clear in defining the woman's and the man's role in the home:

Titus 2: 4-5--"The older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame upon the Lord."

Proverbs 14: 1--"A wise woman builds her house."

1 Timothy 5: 8--"But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially the members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."

It is God's desire, His perfect plan, that we women manage our households. There is a lot of pressure today for women to be successful in careers outside of the home. Often, women who chose to be homemakers are chastised and made to feel that they are not doing anything meaningful. (I'm sure you have all been on the recieving end of a comment that just made your jaw drop!) Ladies, I'd like to offer you some words of encouragement: What could possibly be more meaningful than fulfilling God's vision of a woman? Let us look at responsibilities of a homemaker:

1. Creating and maintaining a home environment that helps and encourages your husband to provide for his family, thus fulfilling his role as the man of the house.

2. Being available to nurture your children at all times.

3. Maintaining a clean, safe and comfortable environment for your loved ones, a safe-haven, a refuge, a place that they always want to be.

4. Providing nourishing meals for your family.

5. Staying within the limits of a budget.

6. Educating your children, if you choose to homeschool or not.

7. Instilling moral charachter into your children.

8. Modeling biblical womanhood to your children (important for both sons and daughters).

9. Training your children biblically.

This list goes on and on, but as you can see, the woman who chooses to keep her home is never at a loss for work!

Sisters, do not become discouraged with your very important position as homemakers, wives and mothers! Refuse to listen to the negative tounges of those who berate your work! Remember, although homemaking may not be the most glamorous or exciting kind of work, it is kingdom work, and you will truly be blessed through it!

This is Part 1 in a series of posts on The Art of Homemaking. Next time we will discover how to find contentment and joy in our roles as full-time wives, homemakers and mothers.