Seeing homemaking as a labor of love instead of drudgery- With FREE PRINTABLE!
There is a view in our society that is catching fire.
It is a view that sees homemaking/housework/motherhood as drudgery. (Drudgery: boring, difficult or unpleasant work. )
I should know because I often add my approval and voice to this view.
Before I was married I dreamed about the day when I would have a husband and children to do laundry, make meals for and a home to decorate and clean.
Little did I know how those dreams would come back to haunt me!
Not only do I have all of these, but they are neverending!
I do about 2-3 loads of laundry every day!
I cook 2-3 meals a day and clean in between... constantly.
I clean and clean and clean and my house does not look magazine worthy; just liveable!
Now that all my dreams have come true I complain most every day about them.
Why can't I go 20 minutes without cleaning up a mess?
Why do my children hurt themselves every 10 seconds!?
Why do we have so many dirty clothes???
Why do my children destroy everything they touch!!?
I definately go through seasons of absolutely loving caring for my home and family and then seasons of despising it. I will often do anything I can to avoid doing dishes or making dinner and other times I just thrive in it. I have times when I will be on top of everything and everyone making sure not a crumb is spilled and a toy out of place. I can get a little OCD at times. Though I love a clean house, I know it's not worth getting all bent out of shape about, even though I often do.
Then there are seasons when I get disillusioned and just try to get by with what I can, wondering to myself, "Why even try, it's just going to go back to the way it was?" When I get in a funk of thinking what is the purpose of it all, I start to view homemaking as drudgery. I get bogged down with thoughts that I am really not doing anything important or of worth. I start to think of my days as insignificant as a stay at home mom, if all I did was clean, cook, do laundry and supervise my children. Nothing spectacular there. I give into the lies that I didn't really accomplish anything of worth.
Deep down in my heart I know that this is so not true.
Even if I all you and I did was feed our children, clean and keep the peace, we have done an amazing job that is vital to our family's well being...that only you and I can do as our husband's wife and our children's mother.
The thing is that I need God to constantly work on my heart and help change my perspective to see the job I have been given as one of great value and worth. I need him to give me a cheerful and giving heart in serving my family; desiring to do it as unto him. This is the difference... doing it as unto him!
When we are reminded that our lives and our families are not our own, that he has given us this wonderful and most important of positions; our perspective changes and we can see homemaking as a labor of love instead of drudgery.
I love this quote by Harold B. Lee. It really helps to remind me that I am doing a very important work. A work that no one else besides God and my family might see. A work that is vital not only to the foundation of my family but of the whole of society.
I love my family so much! Even though I desperately need time away from them sometimes, I still always can't wait to get back to them. They are the ones that I truly want to be with the most. Yes, they are a lot of work but I would so much rather take care of them then be out in the world taking care of someone else's children or doing a job that would take me away from my husband and them.
It's sad that we often think that it's only when we are serving outside the home that we are being used and doing an important work. I know that everyone is in different seasons and situations then I am in, but whatever our jobs are... as mothers, our families should be our priority as we seek God 1st. #preachingtomyself If you are doing a job outside the home, know that I am not trying to downplay that. If you are in God's will then there is no better place to be. But if God has called you to be home then he will make a way and give you joy in it!
When I start to listen to God's voice instead of the world's and thrive where he has put me, I delight in serving my family. As I am obedient to his calling on my life and cherish the season I am in, I start to see keeping the house liveable, clothes cleaned, dishes washed, children trained and loved, husband admired and respected as my highest calling. Not only does it become fulfilling, but it affects everyone in my family. When all I do is complain to my husband and children they will start to feel insignificant, like they aren't worth my time and effort.
We as mothers and wives need to set the example in our home. How can we expect our husband to want to come home if all he will hear from us is complaining? How can we expect our children to do their chores without complaining if that is all they hear us do?
Of course there are those days when we have just had a hard time putting anything on the table and keeping the house looking decent and we need to vent and give ourselves grace, and that's okay.
But when we do take the time and effort to make our homes presentable, to prepare good meals for our family with a good attitude; our husband and children will notice and appreciate our hard work and give us praise better than any worldly achievement or acknowledgement!
I don't know about you but I am tired of being tired of housework. I want God to change my heart. I want him to give me joy in being faithful with the little. I know that this will be a continuous work and that I will go through many different seasons, but this is my prayer: to see homemaking as a labor of love to the ones that I cherish the most.
I am so excited to share this beautiful printable that I made with you! Please download it for your own personal use! ----> FREE PRINT And if this post encouraged you I would love for you to sign up to recieve more posts like it --->Here!!
How about you? Do you struggle with taking care of your home and family with joy?
Do you often feel like you didn't do anything of worth during the day?
Do you find yourself having a bad attitude towards homemaking?
Do you feel like you are only doing something of value when it's outside your home?
Linking up here!
There is a view in our society that is catching fire.
It is a view that sees homemaking/housework/motherhood as drudgery. (Drudgery: boring, difficult or unpleasant work. )
I should know because I often add my approval and voice to this view.
Before I was married I dreamed about the day when I would have a husband and children to do laundry, make meals for and a home to decorate and clean.
Little did I know how those dreams would come back to haunt me!
Not only do I have all of these, but they are neverending!
I do about 2-3 loads of laundry every day!
I cook 2-3 meals a day and clean in between... constantly.
I clean and clean and clean and my house does not look magazine worthy; just liveable!
Now that all my dreams have come true I complain most every day about them.
Why can't I go 20 minutes without cleaning up a mess?
Why do my children hurt themselves every 10 seconds!?
Why do we have so many dirty clothes???
Why do my children destroy everything they touch!!?
I definately go through seasons of absolutely loving caring for my home and family and then seasons of despising it. I will often do anything I can to avoid doing dishes or making dinner and other times I just thrive in it. I have times when I will be on top of everything and everyone making sure not a crumb is spilled and a toy out of place. I can get a little OCD at times. Though I love a clean house, I know it's not worth getting all bent out of shape about, even though I often do.
Then there are seasons when I get disillusioned and just try to get by with what I can, wondering to myself, "Why even try, it's just going to go back to the way it was?" When I get in a funk of thinking what is the purpose of it all, I start to view homemaking as drudgery. I get bogged down with thoughts that I am really not doing anything important or of worth. I start to think of my days as insignificant as a stay at home mom, if all I did was clean, cook, do laundry and supervise my children. Nothing spectacular there. I give into the lies that I didn't really accomplish anything of worth.
Deep down in my heart I know that this is so not true.
Even if I all you and I did was feed our children, clean and keep the peace, we have done an amazing job that is vital to our family's well being...that only you and I can do as our husband's wife and our children's mother.
The thing is that I need God to constantly work on my heart and help change my perspective to see the job I have been given as one of great value and worth. I need him to give me a cheerful and giving heart in serving my family; desiring to do it as unto him. This is the difference... doing it as unto him!
When we are reminded that our lives and our families are not our own, that he has given us this wonderful and most important of positions; our perspective changes and we can see homemaking as a labor of love instead of drudgery.
I love this quote by Harold B. Lee. It really helps to remind me that I am doing a very important work. A work that no one else besides God and my family might see. A work that is vital not only to the foundation of my family but of the whole of society.
I love my family so much! Even though I desperately need time away from them sometimes, I still always can't wait to get back to them. They are the ones that I truly want to be with the most. Yes, they are a lot of work but I would so much rather take care of them then be out in the world taking care of someone else's children or doing a job that would take me away from my husband and them.
It's sad that we often think that it's only when we are serving outside the home that we are being used and doing an important work. I know that everyone is in different seasons and situations then I am in, but whatever our jobs are... as mothers, our families should be our priority as we seek God 1st. #preachingtomyself If you are doing a job outside the home, know that I am not trying to downplay that. If you are in God's will then there is no better place to be. But if God has called you to be home then he will make a way and give you joy in it!
When I start to listen to God's voice instead of the world's and thrive where he has put me, I delight in serving my family. As I am obedient to his calling on my life and cherish the season I am in, I start to see keeping the house liveable, clothes cleaned, dishes washed, children trained and loved, husband admired and respected as my highest calling. Not only does it become fulfilling, but it affects everyone in my family. When all I do is complain to my husband and children they will start to feel insignificant, like they aren't worth my time and effort.
We as mothers and wives need to set the example in our home. How can we expect our husband to want to come home if all he will hear from us is complaining? How can we expect our children to do their chores without complaining if that is all they hear us do?
Of course there are those days when we have just had a hard time putting anything on the table and keeping the house looking decent and we need to vent and give ourselves grace, and that's okay.
I don't know about you but I am tired of being tired of housework. I want God to change my heart. I want him to give me joy in being faithful with the little. I know that this will be a continuous work and that I will go through many different seasons, but this is my prayer: to see homemaking as a labor of love to the ones that I cherish the most.
I am so excited to share this beautiful printable that I made with you! Please download it for your own personal use! ----> FREE PRINT And if this post encouraged you I would love for you to sign up to recieve more posts like it --->Here!!
How about you? Do you struggle with taking care of your home and family with joy?
Do you often feel like you didn't do anything of worth during the day?
Do you find yourself having a bad attitude towards homemaking?
Do you feel like you are only doing something of value when it's outside your home?
Linking up here!
Rebekah, I share your heart for motherhood and home! This is inspiring and vulnerably beautiful. I have a quote I keep within eyesight in my home that says, "Children are not a distraction from more important work, they are the most important work." C.S. Lewis~ Everything we do and how we do it goes into shaping these souls for eternity! I simply love your intentional heart for motherhood and family, and I'd love for you to share your words on Fresh Market Friday. It's all about sharing our passions for motherhood, marriage and bulding a legacy. So glad I stopped by today! Crystal~
ReplyDeleteOh I love that quote also! Yes, it is an eternal work and if we look at it more that way we will be able to see the significance in the job we have been given to do! Thank you for your encouraging words! xoxo
DeleteOh how I'm with you in this! I struggle sometimes in seeing my own value and worth or wanting my value and worth t be reflected back to me by my family. Yet, there are those other times when I feel like I'm on top of the world when it comes to homemaking. It's an incredible journey, full of ups and downs, but it's also such a blessing of a journey to have. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, it really can be like a roller coaster ride!
DeleteAs a woman who has a degree, I didn't want it to go to waste. For nearly 20 years I worked outside the home-sometimes full-time but mostly part-time. I was always spent. I enjoyed my work outside the home but didn't manage doing both well at the same time. Around 4 years ago, I was really seeking the Lord about this when, yet again, I had taken on more than I could handle at my outside job. He impressed upon my heart Titus 2 and how a woman's place is to be a keeper of her home and lover of her husband and children. Not as a judgement. That if I would do what His word says, I would find rest. I still worked Saturdays for 2 more years. I have been home now for 18 months and finally feel like I am doing what I am called to do right now with children in my home. It has been so freeing and so restful. I still have a lot to do in my home and am thankful that I have enough energy to do it. Thanks for the post! Roberta
ReplyDeleteThis is such a beautiful testimony to God's gentle nudging of the Spirit. Thank you for sharing!
DeleteSo glad that you were able to find rest in God's perfect will for you and your family! It's such an amazing gift to be able to be with our children! Thank you for sharing! xoxo
DeleteHi Roberta, I earned my master's degree and have been working for my whole life. I just walked away from my career as well to stay home and take care of my family. We have had some traumas happen this past year, and I feel called to be more present and pick up the pieces and help my children heal. It is very encouraging to hear a "working mom" say she feels fulfilled in staying home. I have worried about walking away from a job I loved and wondering if I would regret it, even if it was undoubtedly the leading of the Lord.
DeleteAs a woman who has a degree, I didn't want it to go to waste. For nearly 20 years I worked outside the home-sometimes full-time but mostly part-time. I was always spent. I enjoyed my work outside the home but didn't manage doing both well at the same time. Around 4 years ago, I was really seeking the Lord about this when, yet again, I had taken on more than I could handle at my outside job. He impressed upon my heart Titus 2 and how a woman's place is to be a keeper of her home and lover of her husband and children. Not as a judgement. That if I would do what His word says, I would find rest. I still worked Saturdays for 2 more years. I have been home now for 18 months and finally feel like I am doing what I am called to do right now with children in my home. It has been so freeing and so restful. I still have a lot to do in my home and am thankful that I have enough energy to do it. Thanks for the post! Roberta
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, just beautiful. I am right with you - on the days I lose focus, to the days filled with joy. Hugs x Wish flying across the world for a playdate was as simple as going to the supermarket!
ReplyDeleteThank you Sarah! Yes, that would be amazing!! xoxo
DeleteOh Rebekah, this post resonated with me so much! I found myself tearing up several times while reading it. I am constantly reminded of Matthew 10:42, and it helps me keep perspective on those hard days when what I'm doing sometimes feels meaningless . . . . "And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward."
ReplyDeleteI'm going to share this on my facebook page, as I think many of my blog readers will be able to resonate with this post as well!
Yes, God's word is the best reminder of what is really important! I am so thankful that God used this post to encourage you! Thank you so much for sharing!! xoxo
DeleteRebekah, I absolutely love this. We labour for God. We do these tasks out of love for our family.
ReplyDeleteI love your heart here and I couldn't have said it any better. Pinned to my Deliberate PARENTING board.
Thanks for sharing.
xoxo
Thank you Jennifer! So thankful for God's gentle reminders to me that I am doing an eternal work!
DeleteI LOVE the quote you shared by Harold Lee! I feel overwhelmed by housework with only two little ones... and I know it will only get harder as our family grows. Thank you for the godly encouragement! I'm hoping this will motivate me to finish laundry for today!
ReplyDeleteThis was such a timely reminder! Yes, what we do in our homes and for our families is truly our most important work at this season of life. It's honoring to the Lord, and it's what He's set for us to do!
ReplyDeleteThis was a great read. Very inspirational and encouraging! "Whatever we do work at it with our whole heart, as if we are doing it for God, not man." Homemaking as obedience to God's call on our lives blesses not only our families, it draws us closer to Christ as well. Thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteRebekah, I share your thoughts on the seasons of homemaking. We all struggle to see our value sometimes, but it's important to remember that we have one of the hardest tasks in the world. Raising children, caring for a family, and honing a life of a human being is no easy feat, and the fact that we do so with some patience and grace should be enough. It's enough for our children, it's enough for our family, and it should certainly be enough for us. You gave us a beautiful reminder here, and I'm so glad you were able to share your words with us on #shinebloghop this week!
ReplyDeleteLove this - thanks for the reminder. ;)
ReplyDeleteSarah