Christian homemaking 101 is a three part series that can help guide you to becoming a more fruitful, organized, and productive homemaker. Cultivate a Christ centered home, by simply doing His will of serving others.
HOW TO COMPLETE THIS 3 PART SERIES
- Print off the “Homemaker’s Helping Hand“.
- At minimum, print off the “Homemaking Action Plan” found on page 2.
- Start reading Part 1: Becoming a Christian Homemaker.
- If you are a visual learner, watch the video.
- Once you have finished reading and watching the information on Part 1, begin Part 2: Cultivating Self Discipline.
- Create your homemaking action plan, and organize your day and week.
- Once you have finished reading and watching the information on Part 2, and completed the two tasks: homemaking action plan and organizing, begin Part 3: Setting the Atmosphere.
Part 1: Becoming a Christian Homemaker
What is Homemaking
Homemaking is so much more than cooking and cleaning. Homemaking is the art of purposeful servitude. In homemaking, you are not only creating a positive home atmosphere, you are a servant of God, working to serve and care for others.
Christian homemakers are in charge of the ways of the household. A homemaker is dedicated to serving her family through care and nurture. Homemakers ensure that the home is running efficiently, smoothly, and is a place of rest and comfort for all who enter.
What does a homemaker do specifically? A homemaker may be in charge of:
- Meal Planning and Shopping
- Cooking
- Cleaning
- Laundry
- Creating Routines and Schedules
- Baking
- Organizing and Decluttering
- Outdoor Chores (gardening, landscaping, etc.)
- Food Preservation
- Sewing
- Caring for Children and Family Members
- Finances and Budgeting
It is important to remember that each homemaker’s tasks may depend on the needs of the family, and the work the spouse desires to do as well.
Why is Christian Homemaking Important?
Christian homemakers differ from traditional homemakers as they are serving others by serving the Lord. Where as those who don’t believe in Jesus may be motivated by alternative motives, a Christian homemaker operates with the grace and love Jesus has provided us as our motivator. Matthew 20:28 says, “Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” As Christian homemakers, we are called to serve, so we must serve.
What does Scripture say about Homemaking?
1 John 4:19
“We love, because He first loved us.” Homemaking is continuous acts of service. Christian homemaking puts Jesus’s love for us into action. We are loving others by serving them because He loved us first. Although it may seem like homemaking is filled with mundane repetitive tasks, each task that we are entrusted with and do wholeheartedly, is a service of love.
Ephesians 2:10
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” I know I have said it a million times, but homemaking is indeed doing the work of the Lord. We are serving others, whether it is family, friends, neighbors, or our community. Homemakers are called to reach out to all, not just those inside the walls of our house.
Philippians 2:3-5
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” This verse is the inspiration of Part 3 in this series, “Setting the Atmosphere.” When we are homemaking, we must have a selfless heart, and look to serve with others’ interests at heart.
Titus 2:3-5
“Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.” I have many women in my life who are inspirations, and true mentors and teachers. My prayer, is that this series can help teach others what is good, and to be faithful workers at home, devoted to the Lord through serving their husband and children.
Ecclesiastes 9:10
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” No matter if you work full time, part time, or stay at home, Paul reminds us to use our hands to care for our home and give 100%.
Colossians 3:23
“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people.” It is easy to get sucked into the mindset that we want to be served, and fall into having a selfish attitude. We must remember, we are working for the Lord, not for the people.
Sirach 26:13-16
“A wife’s charm delights her husband, and her skill puts fat on his bones. A sensible and silent wife is a gift of the Lord, and there is nothing so precious as a disciplined soul. A modest wife adds charm to charm, and no balance can weigh the balance of a chaste soul. Like the sun rising in the heights of the Lord, so is the beauty of a good wife in her well-ordered home.” What a beautiful example we are called to follow. May we pray hard to be like the wife described, and create a well-ordered home, and act in a manner that is pleasing to God.
This is just a start, there are so many Scripture verses that speak to homemaking. Pray about it, and allow God to direct you to the Scripture He wants to speak into you and your life.
WHERE TO START?
If you have accepted the calling from God to become or improve in your Christian homemaking, head to Part 2: Cultivating Self Discipline to create a homemaking action plan.
Part 2: Cultivating Self Discipline
Create a Homemaking Action Plan
Find the handout, “Homemaking Action Plan”, from the Homemaker’s Helping Hand Planner. If you haven’t downloaded your free copy, click here!
Below is a summary of steps you are going to take to create a homemaking action plan. A homemaking action plan is putting all of your homemaking knowledge and skills into action. A homemaking action plan ensures that instead of just reading about what to do, you physically do it, and are successful. You can create a homemaking action plan in general or monthly.
- Find Your Focus.
- Create a list of all of the things you are in charge of.
- Find and write down Scripture, prayer intentions, and skills growth ideas.
Once you have completed your homemaking action plan, you are going to follow the next steps.
- Organize your day and week to ensure that EVERYTHING you need to get done has a day and time.
- Set the atmosphere and maintain the home. (See Part 3: Setting the Atmosphere)
Find Your Focus
In your “Homemaking Action Plan” handout, write down your focus. A homemaking focus is the reason, person, or motivation that drives you to do what you do. For me, my focus is: “God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”. Serving the Lord our God is the focus that I dwell on when things get hard, overwhelming, exhausting, and fun!
I recommend writing your focus on a sticky note, or printing pictures of your focus to hang up around your house. These visual reminders are a great way to keep you motivated, and focused in on your why.
Prayer and Devotions
Your homemaking action plan has three areas at the bottom dedicated to writing down:
- Scripture verses– Take time to pray, and ask God speak to you through specific Bible verses. These verses should be encouraging and inspiring to you, so you can utilize them to get through the day. These verses are intended to bring you encouragement when days are hard, you need a push to get through, or if you are having a rockstar day.
- Prayer intentions– Create a running list of prayer intentions. This could include people you want to pray for, events, laws, decisions, and requests you have, ALONG WITH prayer intentions for yourself. We need the strength of the Lord, and we must be intentional asking for it.
- Skills growth– Lastly, you are going to create a list of skills you want to learn, improve on, or teach. Don’t be intimidated, you don’t need to work on the entire list at once. Pick one area (sewing, baking, cooking, etc.) that you want to grow in. We can get burned out when we don’t challenge ourselves, or work our minds in new ways.
Daily and Weekly Routines
In the Homemaker’s Helping Hand Planner, I provide many options for daily and weekly schedules and routines. Creating a routine and organizing your tasks at hand, is the most efficient and effective way to ensure everything you need to do gets done.
NOTE: My video gives a look into additional planner pages not shown below, and planning your day and week.
AM / PM Routine vs. Timed Schedule
There are two different options to choose from when creating your homemaking schedule or routine. A schedule will hold you accountable by order of task and time. A routine will allow you more flexibility in your day by eliminating specific order and time frames. You are still held accountable in the tasks that need to be completed both morning and afternoon.
A timed schedule is going to be a more precise list of tasks that are accomplished at or around a certain time throughout the day. For example:
- 6:00am – Wake up and get dressed
- 6:30am- Bible and prayer time
- 7:00am- Breakfast and get kids ready
An AM / PM routine will map out tasks that need to be completed in the morning and afternoon, but don’t have to be completed at a certain time, or in a certain order. For example:
- Morning: Clean out dishwasher, pay bills, order groceries, clean bathrooms
- Afternoon: Read Bible, wash a load of laundry, vacuum
- Evening: Tidy home, make dinner, fold a load of laundry
Daily vs. Weekly Routine
The Homemaker’s Helping Hand Planner has many different templates for you to choose from. Whether you want to plan your day, your week, or both, go ahead and print what pages would help you to be the most organized. (See video for in depth planning.)
SIDE NOTE: You do not have to fill out a daily plan every day, if most days of the week you will follow the same schedule. Fill out a weekly plan, and change or add the tasks that will be different. For example: Monday 9:00 Breakfast, Tuesday 9:00 Breakfast, Wednesday 9:00 Library, Thursday 9:00 Breakfast
Whether you plan each day out specifically, or have a generalized schedule, it is important to make sure you have a set day planned for each household chore. There will be additional or seasonal chores that will fall on top of those chores, but my biggest piece of advice is to have a planned set day for each “basic” chore. For example: Monday- sweeping and mopping, Tuesday- bedding and vacuuming…(See chore charts for ideas.)
Planning
Whether you are planning chores, meals, your daily or weekly tasks, have a realistic mindset. It is great to be ambitious and motivated, but writing down what you should do is NOT the same as actually doing it. When creating your homemaking schedule, start with a manageable schedule or routine you can be successful with.
Budgeting
Much of your planning is going to be based off of your budget. It is very important to look at your finances carefully, to ensure you are not spending more than you are making. God has called us to be good stewards of our money, which means we have to work hard to ensure we are caring for our finances as we should.
Please note, I am not an expert on budgeting, and I won’t pretend to be. Below are budgeting resources that can help you.
You can also download free budgeting apps if you want to keep track of finances and spending that way. I recommend looking into what they are capable of, and download a few to see which suits you the best. I personally like writing things on pen and paper, or using Google Sheets. Click here for budgeting app suggestions.
Meal Plan
The best way to be efficient with your time and budget is to create a weekly meal plan. Meal planning doesn’t have to be complicated or overly expensive. Try to pick two to three main meats a week, and plan how to stretch those.
EXAMPLE: Monday- Chicken noodle soup (shredded chicken, chicken stock, veggies), Tuesday- Roast and potatoes, Wednesday- Chicken enchiladas (use the rest of the shredded chicken), Thursday- Roast pot pie (use the rest of the roast, potatoes, veggies, and chicken stock)
Get my FREE 4 Week Meal Plan, which includes 28+ wholesome recipes from scratch, shopping lists, and a monthly meal planning page.
Part 3: Setting the Atmosphere
Christian Attitude in Homemaking
One of the biggest reasons that Christian homemakers are struggling to find and feel successful in homemaking is their attitude. Our lack of desire to serve, do “unexciting” tasks, and let go of earthly pleasures and norms, is the majority of the reason we grow a dislike and negative attitude towards homemaking.
Think about it, homemaking is our opportunity to serve. It is our opportunity to be selfless, and put our wants and needs on hold. Every day, as homemakers, we are fulfilling what God calls us to do, shouldn’t that excite us!? If we think about homemaking for what it is, purposeful serving, then we should be ignited with drive and motivation to keep going. What a thrill to be doing God’s work moment after moment throughout the day, everyday.
SCRIPTURE TELLS US:
- “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22
- “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2
- “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” Philippians 2:14-15
- “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17
- “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Think about how our attitudes would change, if our hearts and minds did. We shall be renewed through Christ, walking in His ways, and transforming the ways of others.
Ideas for Setting a Positive Atmosphere
When homemaking begins to feel redundant and mundane, try bringing light to the darkness. There are many ideas that you can take a hold of and run. I love to try to create a positive atmosphere for my kids throughout the day, and a clean calm atmosphere for when my husband gets home. Don’t get me wrong, there are many days of chaos, but setting the tone for the house is so vitally important for a homemaker.
Have you ever noticed that if you are stressed or angry, it feeds off onto your husband and children? The saying is true, the mother truly does set the tone for the house. Whether you have children or not, you set the tone for your household too. Setting the tone of the house does not always come naturally, it takes great effort and intention to create a peaceful, positive, uplifting, and encouraging atmosphere. Let’s look at some ways to set the tone:
- Set the table with china, or in a formal setting (you can find china dishes for cheap at antique stores)
- Light candles around the house and at the dinner table during meals
- Play calming or instrumental music
- Speak encouraging words to your family (focus on building them up every hour)
- Avoid yelling and negative comments
- Make the beds
- Tidy the house throughout the day, and right before your husband comes home
- Have a drink ready for your husband when he gets home (this seems cheesy and old school, but it will bring you much joy to see how much he appreciates it)
Maintaining the Home
Excitement from planning and organizing can motivate you enough to have a great first week, but what happens when the excitement wears down, and you are feeling exhausted, unmotivated, and lazy? You begin to fall out of routine. Everything you spent hours planning and organizing just falls apart.
Let’s focus on some steps to ensure you keep the motivation, drive, and discipline to keep going!
Ensure Motivation By:
- Pray- You cannot keep going without a relationship with the Lord. Pray for strength, energy, wisdom, and help everyday.
- Have an Accountability Partner– Whether it is your husband, family member, or friend, you need someone to check in on you (daily would be preferable), and make sure you are completing the tasks you need to for that day. (This is not so you can please and reach standards of your accountability partner, this is to help you reach your own standards.)
- Go to Bed Early– This is very hard, especially as mothers who just want some quiet time after the kids are asleep. It is so important for us to go to sleep, and try to get 7-8 hours a night. This simple task could make a huge difference for your following day.
- Follow Your Routine– If you plan out every task that needs to be done in your day or week, and you follow your routine, you won’t have to stress or worry about when to do things and if they’ll get done. Following your routine eliminates the procrastination and uncertainty of what you need to do and when to do it.
- Adjust if Needed– Your family and life will constantly be changing, and so will the need for adjustments to your routine. Don’t be afraid to make changes. If you are struggling to keep up with your schedule, or find that different tasks work better to be completed different days, then make a change. Your routine does not need to be “in binding”, it is okay if you find yourself questioning decisions, and moving things around.
Christian Homemaking Encouragement
There will be many days where homemaking is hard. Many days when parentings or caring for the home seems impossible. Pray big. You were created to serve God, and He has called each of us to serve others. What a beautiful gift being a homemaker is. We are purposeful servants, cultivating homes of worship and love. Don’t ever forget your purpose, and the power of homemaking.
God bless.
Chris says
What lovely reminders. Thank you.
Brandi says
I just found your YouTube channel the other day. Between it and your blog, you are helping to breathe life back into my homemaking slump. Thank you, Lord, for placing this kindred spirit on my path. 🙏🩷
kelseywestman says
This is a beautiful comment. Thank you so much! I’m glad the Spirit is speaking to you through me. 💗 You are doing great things!