Godly homemaking depends on a godly woman.
You do not have to be a wife, mother, or unemployed to be a homemaker.
If you have a home and are a woman, you can and should be a homemaker.
What comes to mind when you think of homemaking? For many of us, our view is usually extreme. You most likely imagine Little House on the Prairie or Pinterest. We envision a lady in a dress and apron hanging laundry out to dry or hand-kneading bread in a perfectly aesthetic kitchen.
Most of us will not have either of these entirely, but we will fall somewhere in the middle.
Homemaking is “the creation and management of a home, especially as a pleasant place in which to live.”
You get to decide if your house will be a home, if you will be a homemaker or just a housekeeper.
Scripture gives us many qualities of a godly woman and homemaker. This is not an exhaustive list but a good place to start.
- Wisdom. If you are a wise woman, you will build your home. Proverbs 14:1 says, “Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.”
You get to choose.
You will not be the wise woman God desires you to be apart from His Word. You must read and study God’s Word and seek Him in prayer. The world, the flesh, and the devil will not lead you to be a godly woman.
- Pure Speech. Proverbs 15:1-4, 7 says, “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so.” Proverbs 16:24 says, “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” Proverbs 18:21 reminds us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
- Kind. Proverbs 31:26, “She openeth her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness.” “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32
- Humble. “A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.” Proverbs 29:23 “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.” Proverbs 18:12
- Unselfish. “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” 2 Corinthians 9:6 “She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.” Proverbs 31:20
- God-fearing. “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.” Proverbs 31:30.
All of these attributes depend on fearing the Lord. If we do not revere God and His Word, we will not seek to obey His Word. This leaves us doing things our way, usually the opposite of His. Seeking to be a God-fearing woman lets us fulfill the other attributes, thus making our presence and homes where others want to be. Creating a home, not just a house.
You do not have to have the newest furniture, perfect meals, or a Pinterest-worthy entryway to have a home where people feel welcome and loved; you just need the presence of the Lord.
The goal is godliness, not Pinterest.
If you have a Pinterest-perfect home, that is fine! Just be sure to use it to minister to or encourage others.
Stay in the Word, stay close to the Shepherd, and let Him lead you in paths of righteousness.
With Hope in His Service,
Heather
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