Joy-filled Homemaking for the Glory of God

Homemaking is what you make of it. For some, it feels like a dull, monotonous grind; for others, it becomes a rhythm of creativity and joy. How can two people experience the same tasks so differently? The answer lies not in the tasks themselves but in the heart behind them.

One major issue is the culture we live in, which often tells us that homemaking lacks purpose and is inherently dull. Many women today seek to find purpose, feel empowered, and make a difference. This often leads women to seek these items outside the home and through her screen. Dishes don’t seem impactful, and neither does laundry, leading to a world full of women on an endless pursuit trying to find the work that does fulfill her. As a result, homemaking is often outsourced, neglected, or done hurriedly and begrudgingly, reduced from a privilege to a chore. Sadly, the ripple effect of this reality impacts generations to come.

This isn’t a debate about whether women should work outside the home—our society benefits from the contributions of brilliant women in all fields. But we’ve been led to believe that the work outside the home is inherently more important than the work within it. This is where Scripture serves as our standard, reminding us that all things may be done for the glory of God and guiding us in how to walk worthy of our calling (1 Cor. 10:31, Col. 1:10). As Christian women, we know that much of Christianity appears as foolishness to a perishing world, and God’s way of calling us to holiness often seems upside down when compared to society’s picture of the "empowered woman."

While there are many commands for all Christians, Scripture makes it clear that women specifically—regardless of if they pursue a career outside the home or not—are called to be keepers of their home (Titus 2:5). In Titus 2, Paul charges local pastors to encourage the older women in their congregations to train younger women to love their husbands, children, and be homemakers. Additionally, the Proverbs 31 woman, as entrepreneurial as she was, worked to benefit her household directly. Her work never conflicted with the Biblical command to love the Lord, help her husband, train her children, and manage her household. This is meaningful work because it’s holy work.

For the sake of transparency, I want to share about the ministry we owned and operated for six years: Deeply Rooted. I was passionate about equipping women to be deeply rooted in Jesus Christ, and starting a Christian women’s magazine felt like a natural way to combine my love for photography and writing, all while staying home to raise my young children. But as time went on, I began to believe that my ministry work was more important than my work in the home. Biblically, I knew this wasn’t true, but in my heart, I felt it. Readers would send handwritten notes expressing gratitude, sharing how God had used Deeply Rooted to transform their lives. One person even shared how she became a Christian because of our publication! Yet motherhood and homemaking felt thankless, especially during the toddler years when verbalized appreciation was scarce. As our ministry grew, so did my ability to serve both my family and my business well. I started to feel convicted as my ministry outside the home seemed to conflict with my calling within it, and I knew something needed to change.

The real issue was the posture of my heart. You can serve in ministry and appear to be a "super Christian" externally while still missing the mark internally. I didn’t want to get this wrong, nor did I want my family to suffer because of my misplaced priorities. How could I lead other women when I struggled to model to my own children some of the simple tasks God had clearly prescribed in Scripture? Feeling convicted, I spent time studying Scripture, evaluating my use of time, reading books on Biblical womanhood, conversing with my husband about the topic, and asking the Lord to reveal to me what it meant to keep a home for the glory of God. All of this revolutionized my view of homemaking. No longer were the day-to-day tasks mere checkboxes on a to-do list—they became opportunities to glorify God and serve those He had entrusted to my care. The best part was that they didn’t have to be boring! Additionally, the Scriptures helped me connect to see the overlap between discipleship and hospitality. My home transformed from a prison into a garden, a place where I could creatively tend to the people and tasks that would bear lasting fruit, Lord willing.

I’ll be the first to admit that dishes and laundry are not my favorite activities. I wasn’t born with a natural knack for orderliness, and I certainly never envisioned myself as a homemaker. But the Lord has changed my heart, and I’m now passionate about this calling. Whether you’re meal prepping, grocery shopping, washing dishes, or opening your home to others, there are countless creative ways to find joy in homemaking. (I hope to write more on this topic.) The joy doesn’t come from the tasks themselves but from the One who multiplies our joy as we serve Him through these seemingly mundane activities.

So, I challenge you to examine your heart as you go about keeping your home:

• Does homemaking feel like a "have to" or a "get to"?

• Does keeping my home energize or drain me?

• Have I thought about ways to be creative in my homemaking?

• Have I taken the time to study what Scripture says about being a keeper of the home?

• Do I believe there’s purpose in the dishes, laundry, and other daily tasks?

In the end, homemaking is far more than just a set of tasks—it’s a calling that reflects our service to God and the love we have for those in our care. When approached with the right heart and perspective, even the smallest acts within the home can have eternal significance. So let’s embrace the work God has given us, knowing that it is not in vain, and trust that He will multiply our efforts for His glory.