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"The Reading Lesson" painting by Knut Ekvall, 1800's
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I was listening to an old sermon on my kitchen radio the other day. The minister was preaching about the duty of a Christian. He talked about what makes a good Christian. At first we are inspired and excited about our Christian life. . . perhaps we go to Bible study and hear a good sermon. We go out and start living for the Lord based on inspiration. Well, then this feeling (or mood) starts to fade away. If we base our actions only on our feelings, it will not last.
If we still go to church, read the Bible, and pray, even when we are not inspired . . . even when we don't feel like it. . . we are doing our duty. We are building character. We are doing what is right no matter our mood. This is what makes a good Christian.
Do you know what makes a good Homemaker? The same principle of doing our duty as a Christian applies here.
What makes a good Homemaker?
It is when she does the dishes, makes the meals, does the laundry, makes the beds, tends to the children, and cares for her husband, no matter her mood. She does not give - in to laziness, or self-seeking ways of wasting time. She does her work regardless of whether or not she is inspired. If she does her daily work, she is a good homemaker.
She can be an amazing homemaker by going a bit further. She can do this all cheerfully, enjoying the work because she does it as unto the Lord. She may sing hymns, pray as she goes, and make the home look inviting and pleasant because she wants a happy place for her family to live.
My grandmother, from what I am told by my father, was an incredible homemaker who kept a clean house and always did her work. Whenever she visited our home, or we visited hers, she was always tidy and kept her things lovely. Her gracious presence was admirable. She was a preacher's wife (in the 1930's) and the mother of 7 children. She did not have the distractions we have these days - such as television, computers, or cell phones. She kept to her business of home-keeping. She was a loving wife and mother and a good Christian. She did her duty, and that is what made her great.
Now of course duty can get depressing if we have not love. To keep peace and joy in your life, seek the beautiful life of a close fellowship with the Lord. This will help us stay calm and steady no matter what storms or trials are raging in our life. We can do our work regardless of the mood of the world around us. This is incredibly important!
I have found that singing old time hymns make me happy. Reading the Bible makes me happy. Going to church makes me happy. Doing my Christian duty brings happiness. When we do our duties of housewifery, we will find contentment and happiness as well.
Being a good Christian and a good homemaker will bring you that peace and joy. They work beautifully together. This old fashioned duty is what makes amazing, godly homes.
Blessings
Mrs. White
From the Archives -
I will do my Duty - No Matter What it Cost Me.
A Lifetime Commitment - Living on Mister's Income.
- To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -
Find Home-keeping Inspiration, in Mrs.White's book -Mother's Book of Home Economics . Paperback, 312 pages.
16 comments:
I so appreciate the encouragement found in each of your posts. In our modern culture that focuses on self gratification, it is easy to feel disconnected and alone. I have many things on my list to accomplish today and tomorrow. It was a good reminder to diligently forge ahead, knowing that others enjoy making a home for those we love. Thank you!
Blessings ~Pam~
Beautiful! Very well written and inspiring. I love the reminder of singing old hymns (I too love the old ones) and praying while working. It gives the heart a positive focus rather than grumbling on what you would rather be doing.
Wishing you God's peace,
Dee
Thank you for this great post. I get discouraged sometimes when I come across women who think it's bad for society if we homemakers don't work outside the home. They fail to realize that we feel fullfilled taking care of our families. It's what God created us to be.
Wonderful post, Mrs. White! Well said. Thank you! :-)
So thankful for your posts, they always inspire me to do better. Also thankful you are feeling a bit better--praying for you.
And keeping a grateful spirit! Daily praying the LORD will give me this and develop in me all the character that being a wife, mother, grandmother, and housekeeper that will always brings Him glory.
Such a lovely, inspiring post!
Thank you for sharing. : )
It's truth. I look forward to feeling better and doing better.
Something about homemaking makes me feel cozy and happy thank you for this post!
I once heard a speaker who said that as she went about her day she was reminded to pray by the things she was doing. Ironing her husband's shirts reminded her to pray for him, washing her hair reminded her to pray for those with cancer, etc. It has stayed with me for many years and is so helpful throughout the day. Music has always made my day go better too and it makes the chores lighter. My father often spoke of his grandmother's home and how wonderful it was but she was not a great cook although she tried. For him it always brings back fond memories of her home if someone burns a pancake and he gets to eat it because she burned all of them. The important thing was that she made the pancakes for him because he loved them and not how good they were because he knew that she made them with love.
I so much loved reading this post and it was very timely for me. Encouraging me to keep on cheerfully doing housework, educating our children... as unto the Lord
"She does not give in to laziness, or self-seeking ways of wasting time..."
Ouch. Was that one for me? Because it sure hit the mark. Hmmmm.....So I don't have time to clean, or cook, or something else domestically inclined, BUT I have time to paint my nails, shop on the internet, or read celebrity magazines, etc. I hate what that says about me, but more importantly, I hate that my kids will remember me that way. When they talk about the Seven Deadly Sins I don't recall that selfishness was one of them, but it should be, shouldn't it? Because in this climate of wicked social media, debased values, etc,-- narcissism, vanity, and selfishness are big sins hanging over my head, and I bet that there are others who can relate. Thank you for being direct and for "pulling no punches" as always, as I needed this reminder.
This encourages me. Thank you, Mrs. White!
Another beautiful post. I look so forward to your inspiring words. It can be pretty lonely at times being a homemaker in this day in age, but to know there are kindred spirits out there holding steadfast, is so encouraging. Thankyou
Dear Mrs. White,
Thank you for an incredibly life changing blog. Thank you for being such a good Christian that it shines out through your writings to help others less knowledgable. Thank you for teaching women to be Godly women , wives and Mothers. Thank you for being an example of how to be clean the home and cook food and do all the duites we should do...with joy and thankfulness. Thank you for caring enough about others to write the blog. I just love your writings. Please don't ever stop. There needs to be more Christian women .
As always I Love your writings. Was hoping when time allows -I would LOVE a blog on finances. You are so incredibly motivating to me in this area & So disciplined-I need to do a better job at it. Have been really convicted of it lately. I have been spending too much $$ on food and misc. items and can be impulsive. How do you do it?
THank you so much.
Becky
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