The first step to becoming an excellent manager of your home is to understand your role and why it is so important.
As a whole, our culture dismisses the impact of a faithful homemaker and constructs stereotypes that are outlandishly opposed to our exemplary in Proverbs 31. For instance, note who gets attacked when one young girl says she's going to be a nurse and the other says she's preparing to be a homemaker, which, biblically and historically, is God's normative plan for women. It is considered a waste of talent and intelligence to bless your family with the gifts God has given you for eternal rewards, but admirable if a paper certifies a particular area of focus and you get paid monetarily.
We must not rely on society's view of homemaking as our source of strength, purpose, and encouragement. Our value and fulfillment is found when we understand that the almighty God of the universe has called us to this task, and therefore, there is no greater work as a wife and mother that we could be doing.
"... teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." Titus 2: 4The title "manager" denotes different types of jobs we must oversee to ensure our homes are running smoothly. Let's list them:
- Accountant
- Baker
- Chauffeur
- Cheerleader
- Chef
- Coach
- Counselor
- Dean of Education
- Entertainer
- Fashion Coordinator
- Food Service Manager
- Filing Clerk
- Fitness Trainer
- Gardener
- Gift Coordinator
- Health-care Practitioner
- Interior Designer
- Laundress
- Maid
- Purchasing Agent
- Referee
- Secretary
- Short-order Cook
- Travel Agent
A woman who purposely trains to do all these things well will not just be an asset to her husband, but should the Lord call her to singleness, she will be able to minister well to anyone, wherever she is planted. This is why I tell my daughters that preparing to be a godly homemaker thrills Mommy's heart just as much, if not more, than having them trained, indebted, and degreed, in one particular field of interest at college.
"Putting up the lunch for the children or cooking a good meal for the family may seem very insignificant tasks as compared with giving a lecture, writing a book, or doing other things that have a larger audience; but I doubt very much if, in the ultimate reckoning, they will count for as much." ~Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the OzarksOnce you begin to understand and embrace the importance of your place inside your home, you can begin to draft a "mission statement" to refer to when you're feeling weary in well-doing, or you need to be reminded of your vision. It can be as simple as photo-copying Proverbs 31 and posting it on your fridge, or writing out your own summary on a note card and placing it above your sink. I've written mine inside my journal where I see it everyday:
"Called, authorized, and empowered by my Redeemer and Friend, with the blessing and support of my husband, my mission as the Keeper of our Home is to create an atmosphere of grace and forgiveness, order and flexibility, warm love and gentle affection, nutritious meals and fragrant aromas, conversation and education."
I want our home to be: (Check all that apply)
- Welcoming
- Stressful
- Warm
- Light
- Dark
- Messy
- Cluttered
- Happy
- Perfect
- Neat
- Chaotic
- Tidy
- Educational
- Shiny
- Sloppy
- Organized
- Attractive
- Dusty
- Beautiful
- Positive
- Well-arranged
- Tense
- Fun
- Calm
- Rigid
- Creative
- Chaotic
- Cozy
- Unique
- Balanced
- Homey
- Joyful
- Tacky
- Intense
- Purposeful
- Simple
- Appropriate
- Immaculate
- Functional
- Fresh Bright
- Expensive
- Relaxed
Recommend Resources
These titles encourage Keepers of The Home in their God-given calling. I'll list resources specific to organizing and maintaining different areas of the home as we cover them in this series. These are my affiliate links, but you are under no obligation to use them!
- Passionate Housewives Desperate For God by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald
- The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace
- Queen of the Home by Jennifer McBride
- The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson
- Praise Her In The Gates by Nancy Wilson
- Home-Making by J. R. Miller
- Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman
Part 1: Keeping A Growing Home | A Management Series for Moms Part 2: Keeping A Growing Home | Know Your Role! Part 3: Keeping A Growing Home | Making Priorities & 15 Good Things I Don't Do Part 4: Keeping A Growing Home | Time-Saving Home Management Tips Part 5: Keeping A Growing Home | My Daily Schedule
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Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Arrows, A Wise Woman.,Walking Redeemed, The Better Mom, The Modest Mom, A Mama's Story, We ARE That Family, Raising Mighty Arrows, Hearts For Home, Frugal Homeschool Family,