True discipline is not measured by how much we accomplish in a day, but by how faithfully we seek God in the ordinary tasks He has given us. Join me as I, too, work on changing my mindset and introducing into my life practical habits you can start today to become more disciplined like the saints.
Discipline Is Not About Having a Perfect Home
The world tells us discipline is about getting more done, being more productive, being more efficient. However, Christianity teaches discipline is about becoming holy. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:15-16, “…but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, 16 for it is written, “Be holy because I [am] holy.”
A clean kitchen, finished laundry, or well-organized home isn’t the goal. A soul united to God is the goal. Ironically, when we seek God first, our work often becomes more ordered as well.
There has never been more advice available on how to be productive. We are surrounded by morning routines, cleaning schedules, time-blocking systems, minimalist homes, meal plans, and planners designed to help us “get it all done.” While many of these tools can be genuinely helpful, (and I have even made), they all assume the same thing: that the goal of discipline is to accomplish more.
As Christians, we must ask a different question: What is discipline for?
If my home is spotless but I neglect prayer, have I truly become disciplined? What if every load of laundry is folded but I am impatient with my children, have I succeeded? If my planner is perfectly organized but my soul is disordered, have I really ordered my life?
The saints would answer no.
Christian discipline has never been about efficiency. It has always been about holiness. Everything else in our day flows from that.
The Home Reflects the Heart
God is a God of order. Throughout Scripture, we see Him bringing order out of chaos. Creation itself begins with God separating light from darkness, land from sea, and establishing rhythms of work and rest. The Christian life follows this same pattern. Before our hands are busy, our hearts must be rightly ordered.
St. Augustine of Hippo famously wrote in The City of God:
Peace is the tranquility of order.
Notice that he does not say peace comes from having everything finished. Peace comes from order.
Our goal then, is to discern what true order is, and not confuse it with organization.
Our homes often mirror the state of our interior lives. This does not mean that a messy home proves someone lacks holiness—far from it. Every family experiences seasons of illness, newborns, grief, or overwhelming responsibilities. Rather, the point is that when our hearts are habitually scattered, distracted, and spiritually neglected, that disorder often spills into the rest of life.
The first room God desires to put in order is not our kitchen. It is our soul.
Seek First the Kingdom
Before Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow, He gives us the proper order of life:
Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” (Matthew 6:33)
Notice the order.
Not:
- Clean first.
- Organize first.
- Finish everything first.
- Then pray if you have time.
Instead:
Seek God first. Everything else follows.
This does not mean every task will magically become easy. It means every task finds its proper place.
I cannot even count how many times this has happened! When I have prayed, journaled God’s message to me, read my Bible, and spent time with God BEFORE doing anything else, I end up with these beautiful opportunities to get all that I need done.
A few examples I have personally noticed: 1. God blesses me with my children being able to play uninterrupted for longer periods of time. 2. God allows me to get a task done in a much shorter time than I thought. 3. God brings me peace while I am working on tasks, no stress, no panic, no fret, just peace.
When prayer and time with God becomes the foundation instead of the leftover, homemaking changes from a burden into a vocation.
The Saints Did Not Separate Prayer From Work
One of the greatest lies we believe is that prayer happens in one part of life while homemaking happens in another. The saints knew no such division.
Brother Lawrence, who spent years washing dishes in a monastery kitchen, wrote in The Practice of the Presence of God:
The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer.
Imagine washing dishes with that mindset.
Not waiting for the dishes to be done so you can “finally” spend time with God.
Instead…
The dishes become the place where you meet Him. Every folded towel becomes an act of love. Each diaper changed becomes an act of charity. Every meal prepared becomes an offering.
Stop Waiting Until You Feel Motivated
One of the greatest enemies of discipline is believing that we must first feel inspired. The saints rarely speak about waiting for motivation. Instead, they speak about perseverance.
St. Teresa of Ávila reminds us in The Way of Perfection:
The important thing is not to think much but to love much.
Some mornings, prayer feels joyful. Other mornings, it feels dry. Some days, laundry is offered cheerfully. Other days, it feels endless. Discipline means choosing love even when emotion is absent.
Realistic Rule of Life – Creating Anchors
Many people hear the words “rule of life” and imagine rigid schedules. In reality, a rule of life is simply a pattern that helps us become faithful.
For over fifteen centuries, Christians have followed this wisdom. St. Benedict of Nursia built his monasteries around simple rhythms of prayer, work, meals, and rest—not to burden the monks, but to free them from constantly deciding what came next.
As homemakers, we can do something similar. Not because our homes are monasteries, but because our homes can become places where God is honored through ordinary faithfulness.
Create Anchors
Simple anchors (things you do every day) might look like this:
- Begin the day with a morning prayer before looking at your phone.
- I try to pray “Lauds” every morning. (Lauds from Divine Office – more traditional, touch harder to follow) (Lauds from Liturgy of the Hours – made easy for laypeople).
- I hope to create a video and post all about praying the Divine Office, which our priests and religious pray daily.
- There are also many apps where you can read the Divine Office or Liturgy of the Hours and it is made very easy.
- Hallow is great for Liturgy of the Hours
- Sanctifica is great for the Divine Office (Traditional Catholicism – TLM)
- I try to pray “Lauds” every morning. (Lauds from Divine Office – more traditional, touch harder to follow) (Lauds from Liturgy of the Hours – made easy for laypeople).
- Read a passage of Scripture before breakfast is cooking. You can even read it aloud or listen to with your children around. It is a beautiful witness to them of your faith and benefits them too.
- Pray the Angelus at noon (especially as I family if you can).
- Offer each household task intentionally to God, especially the ones you dread or struggle with.
- When you start to feel angry, overwhelmed, ungrateful, etc. pray the “Our Father” and reflect on the Father’s love for the Son.
- End the day with a brief examination of conscience.
- How have I sinned against God?
- What good have I failed to do?
- Have I been obedient or disobedient to God?
- What do I need to praise God for, thank God for, ask for forgiveness for?
These habits are not laws. They are anchors.
When life becomes chaotic—and it will—these rhythms gently pull us back to what matters most.
The Goal of Faithfulness
Our culture celebrates visible accomplishments, on the contrary, God often works through hidden faithfulness.
No one applauds the mother who quietly cleans the kitchen after everyone has gone to bed.
Or notices the woman who pauses to pray while folding another basket of laundry.
No one sees the countless small acts of self-denial that make up a Christian home.
But heaven does.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux understood this deeply. She wrote in Story of a Soul:
Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice.
A life of holiness is rarely built on extraordinary moments. More often, it is built on ordinary duties carried out with extraordinary love. That is the kind of discipline worth pursuing.
Realistic Ideas to Sacrifice
Ideas of small sacrifices you could implement might be:
- Giving up social media (ALL social media, even for the just whole day – 24 hours)
- Not eating sweets or snacks for the day
- Only drinking water (no coffee, tea, energy drinks, sparkling water, soda, etc.)
- Not yelling or snapping
- Pray instead of falling into the temptation of sin (gossip, cursing, arguing online, watching or listening to inappropriate content) – Although this is a large sacrifice and should be done for the good of your soul, we are all human and fail in many areas. TRY HARD to BEGIN PRAYING when you are about to sin)
- Not doing your hair or wearing makeup when you go out
- Not eating meat once a week
- Two small meals and one big meal a day
- Donate one thing you like from your home
The goal of Christian homemaking is not a spotless house, a flawless routine, or the admiration of others. The goal is to become a saint in the very place God has entrusted to you. Every meal prepared, every floor s
wept, every child comforted, every prayer whispered before dawn is another opportunity to love Christ. True discipline is not measured by how much we accomplish in a day, but by how faithfully we seek God in the ordinary tasks He has given us. If we seek His Kingdom first, we may find that our homes become more orderly—but more importantly, our hearts will too.
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