Reclaiming The Art of Homemaking - Part II

Three and a half months. That's how long it's been since I wrote the first portion of "Reclaiming the Art of Homemaking." The first portion was easy for me to write. It's fun sharing with others how you make your day at home more entertaining, more meaningful, interesting, and beautiful. (If you've missed the first part of this topic, you can check out Part I here.) 

But as I sat down to write the second portion all those months ago, I froze. Overwhelmed with how much I fall short in the areas I was attempting to write about, I completely froze. I mean, who was I to suggest or give advice on anything that I myself do not do faithfully? That's what I found myself thinking and so I did not write. I left this sitting in my drafts and proceeded to blog about the things I was confident about like baking and home decor. I don't know what I was waiting for...to be enough, maybe? To be able to say, "Yes, this is me. I do this everyday without fail and thus I can share my thoughts on this matter. I am an expert...?" Probably. And Lord knows without His grace, I would have been waiting forever. 

I know I'm not perfect, but I see now that I was waiting to write this until I had it perfected in my own life. Isn't that crazy? To know that one is a sinner, who constantly falls short of the glory of God, AND YET strive for that perfection, not in Christ, but in one's own abilities? Nuts, right? But such is the way of the flesh, always warring against the Spirit, against what it knows to be right and true (Gal. 5:17). Hence why it's so important that even we as believers preach the gospel to ourselves everyday. 

So now, after repenting of my foolish pride and acknowledging that I write this for my own edification as well as for others, I am ready to continue. I am at ease behind my laptop, fingers poised and ready to dish out some helpful tips on how to reclaim the art of homemaking by saving it from the abyss of the mundane. As a reminder, mundane is defined as follows: 

 

 Mundane /ˌmənˈdān/

        adjective

           1. Lacking interest or excitement; dull.

           2. Of this earthly world rather than a heavenly or spiritual one.

Part I dealt with the first definition and discussed how to add excitement into the daily homemaking grind, and now here in Part II we will deal with the second definition. How can we as homemakers turn the focus of our work, which seems so rooted in our earthly possessions, towards that which is spiritually minded? If you really think about it, though we work in service to our families and those we welcome into our homes, we are constantly dealing with the things the Bible says moths and rust will destroy, and that which thieves can break in and steal (Matt. 6:19). We are surrounded by our material things more than any person who works outside the home. How easy then for us to be utterly engrossed with our earthly belongings and neglect to look heavenward? So how do we ensure that, though our duties require us to be engaged with our worldly possessions, our hearts and minds remain captivated by God?

3 Ways to Replant the Worldly in Heavenly Soil

Cultivate Gratitude!

This is the biggie. I don't know about you, but as a homemaker I'm always thinking about what we don't have and what we need. Not in the sense that we're out of milk and I need to run to the grocery store. But in the sense that while putting away the left overs, I'm reminded of how small our fridge is and how hard it is to organize. My thoughts turn to "if only I had a bigger fridge." When cleaning the bathroom and being confronted with the tight space which makes it more of a nuisance to clean turns into "I wish we had a bigger bathroom." As I'm in the kitchen working on supper and things aren't going as smoothly as I'd like because of the lack of workspace and start to think, "If only I had a bigger kitchen with a large island...and more cabinets while we're at it!" See where I'm going here? 

It's so easy to become discontent with our belongings especially if we feel they are not serving us how we'd like. Instead of being thankful for what we have, we're thinking about that next gizmo, gadget, or upgrade that's going to be the key to becoming a happier homemaker. But as we should all know, wanting more only ever leads to wanting more and being ungrateful with little means you will be ungrateful with much. Discontentment is also the soil in which many sins grow. In 1 Timothy 6:6-10 we read...

"But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs."

When we are discontent it usually signifies that our hearts are preoccupied with worldly things and what the world says is needed to make one's life good. But when we express gratitude it forces us to look to the Giver of all good gifts and humbly acknowledge that He has provided all we have and need. How can we be discontent knowing that? How can we grumble? Next time you find yourself complaining about what you do/don't have, stop and look at it through thankfulness. Is our fridge small? Yes. But guess what? It works as it should and praise God for it! Gratitude turns our gaze away from our earthly desires and towards our Father in Heaven. Make it a habit to find something to be grateful for in every task you do, especially if discontent begins to rear it's ugly head!

Be In The Word!

I remember learning a song in my youth which stated that if you read your Bible and pray very day you will grow. In the same way, if you didn't read your Bible and pray everyday you would shrink in your faith. God and His truth would become less significant in your life. The less space God takes in our hearts and minds, the more room we leave for the world and it's useless idols. The less we read God's word, the more we trade the easy yoke and light burden of Christ (Matt. 11:30) for the heavy and burdensome chains of the world. And I don't know if you've noticed, but the world hates a women working in the home especially when there's no monetary gain involved.

We live in a world with a feminist culture that says a woman at home is a waste of talent and potential. She is oppressed, needing to be freed from the kitchen, delivered from the mop, and liberated from her toxically masculine husband and needy children. We become the center of our world, not God - and that is a recipe for disaster. Imagine being a homemaker and only ingesting what the world has to say about a woman's role should be! How miserable, unfulfilled, and afflicted one would feel! But when we are in the Word, our eyes are turned back to the truth. We are reminded of who God is, what He has done for us, and who we are in Christ. It reminds me of the hymn "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus", where it goes...

"And turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace"

We need to prioritize being in the Word and fueling our minds with the truth as we go about our daily tasks. Not only does it aid us in focusing on spiritually matters while engaged in our earthly work, it also helps us have the right view of the work God calls us to do. It reminds us that whatever we do, be it folding clothes, sweeping floors, or packing lunches, we do it all for the glory of God. It helps silence a world that screams at us to glorify ourselves.

I know excuses abound as to why we can't get into the Word as we ought but with today's technology and endless resources there are so many options and possibilities. Though I try my best to read through my Bible reading plan everyday, on the days that it proves more difficult I will opt for a sermon audio, a theological podcast, or they even have apps where the Bible is read aloud! I also find it helpful to write down verses that strike me during my daily reading on index cards and put them in plain sight. While I'm going about my day the verse will catch my eye and prompt me to meditate on the truths it contains. Find what works for you, but saturate yourself in the truth of God's Word! 

Commit to Pray!

Some household duties can be so repetitive that they're almost mindless. When I'm washing the dishes or folding the laundry, the motions are so repetitive that I can literally disengage my mind from the task, focus my attention and thoughts elsewhere, and before I know it I'm looking down at an empty sink or laundry basket. In Part I, I talked about how we could incorporate our hobbies (like playing an audiobook) into tasks like these to add more fun and interest to seemingly boring chores. While I'm all for that, I'm also here to tell you that these moments can be used to enrich our prayer lives as well. Prayer time doesn't always have to be behind a closed door, kneeling bedside, with hands clasped and eyes closed. We can pray and turn our hearts heavenward though our hands be busy with earthly labor. 

Instead of disengaging my mind, or streaming a show/music on my phone (which I'm more prone to do), I try and use the time for prayer. I don't always to do this but when I do, I find that it provides a time for me to intentionally go through my day and bring all my thoughts, concerns, failures, and triumphs to the Lord. When I'm feeling especially weary or burdened, it enables me to pinpoint things that were subconsciously weighing me down. I have a moment to slow my mind, survey my conscious and bring forth any unconfessed sin that may occurred throughout the day. It also helps me to contemplate how the Lord is working in my life, not just overall but on that specific day. I come away refreshed and encouraged, spurred on to the next task or looking forward to the mercies of the next day.  I'm left more aware of God's faithfulness which is apparent in all that we do, even in what many would consider "domestic drudgery." 

I hope that you got some inspiration and encouragement on ways to make earthly domesticated duties have a more spiritual focus. I've noticed how much more involved my mind is with material desires, all which center around the home, since focusing my talents and efforts into homemaking. I've noticed how my view of myself and role as a homemaker becomes misshapen and undesirable the more I looked to the world. How when I consistently prioritize entertainment in lieu of prayer, I'm left discouraged, overwhelmed and wanting. I don't believe I'm alone in this and hope that sharing my struggles and these personal insights will be of use to at least one other lady out there. I am by no means perfect in this area and I constantly struggle to view all that I have to do on this earth, in my home, in light of Heaven's reality. It's important and often times necessary to remind ourselves that this life is not our end all be all. To remind ourselves that everything we have and everything we do is soli Deo gloria.  Happy homemaking!

xo

Janine