Homemaking Study Part 2

To read Part 1 go here

I had a couple of icebreakers to begin the morning with. The first one was:

What is your favourite homemaking task?

I was a little saddened at the silence that followed this. Surely we find some delight in at least one aspect of the calling that God has laid upon our lives? One answer was 'cake tasting' and then another was 'having the meal on the table when Hubby comes home from work with the kitchen tidy'. Another answer that was mentioned by a couple of people was 'planning'. I love planning and writing lists. I even mostly enjoy carrying out what is on the list, though sometimes the thought of cleaning the floors or scrubbing the loo is worse than actually doing it. I love food shopping, I enjoy baking, I love love love putting scented candles on!

The second question I asked was:

When the word homemaker (housewife, for us British ladies!) is mentioned, what thoughts/feelings/pictures come into your head?

It was generally felt that we preferred the title 'homemaker' than 'housewife' but on the whole, the feeling was that the word had negative connotations of unappreciated cleaning, hard work, lack of ambition, but also conversely, laziness. However, no-one offered a reason as to why they think these things. It was kind of what I wanted the answer to be so that we could then look at God's view of homemakers and why it is that he thinks this.

As always in the study, we started with:

Titus 2 v 4-5:

"Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ 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" (emphasis mine).

From this verse, we can see that God rates being busy at home as incredibly important for the furtherance of the Gospel by setting an example, and providing a place of loving hospitality so that all who enter may encounter the presence of God. Romans 12 says that we are to practice hospitality, and we can do that to the best of our ability when we are able to give our all to it.

God wants to use us ladies who are housewives and homemakers to increase his Kingdom! Quite a mindblowing statement when you consider how low most people consider this 'position' in life to be.

1 Timothy 5:14
"So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander"

Another example of where women are commanded to manage their homes. It is a command given to women specifically as they are created for this task. It is not a powersharing agreement, although I see nothing wrong with the husband being involved in aspects of homemaking, helping with chores and childcare when he can. It is the woman's domain, her castle, if you like, to organise, to run, to love. When you are specifically given such a task, how can you not see it as important? As I put it to the group, we are queens of our dominions and should behave as such. One of the ladies also had a great point here. She likened us to Jesus in a way. He was the absolute greatest, but humbled himself to service. He washed his disciples' feet. How much more should we, as nowhere near as great as Jesus, humble ourselves to the service of those people that God has brought into our lives? If it was good enough for Him, then what have we to complain about?

Proverbs 31 v 27

"She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness"

I think that this verse just goes to show that if you are doing the homemaker thing right, it is not the easy, lazy choice. I think that anyone who really embraces the calling of a homemaker finds that there is always something to do. There is no time for daytime television, endless coffee and lunch dates with friends, or regular marathon shopping trips or indulging in self. The rest of Proverbs 31 lists many of the tasks that this wife carries out during her lifetime, she is certainly not idle!

So, to sum up, I believe that God has called women to be homemakers as we have a specific part to play in the furtherance of His kingdom. It is a busy, fulfilling calling that only we as women can carry out to the utmost best. And when looked at like that, how can you say that it is a drudgery or unappreciated? It may be in earthly terms, but our reward will be great in Heaven. Well done, good and faithful servant. What words to hear from our Father when we get there!