The next part in Titus 2 is on the topic of homemaking. The ESV uses the phrase "working at home." My husband who is a pastor shares that this greek word is a Hapax which means it only occurs once in the scriptures. From the Thayer lexicon it means keeper of the house, keeping at home, taking care of household affairs, and domestic to name a few. Older women are commanded to teach this to younger women.
Develop a Routine
Homemaking basics for me come down to simple categories: the daily, the weekly, and the seasonal.
The daily is the important one to stress because these are important to the life and health of your family. We have daily chores that are done the old fashioned way - work before pleasure. Meal prep, dishes, kitchen clean-up, laundry collected, trash collected, general pick up around the place at the end of the day, mail, animal care, and even personal care all fall into the daily category.
Weekly (or more than once a week as needed) is vacuuming, dusting, bathrooms, trash and recycling put out, weeding, watering plants, mail sorting, food shopping, laundry including folding and putting away, Windexing, fridge/pantry clean out or organizing with meal planning, calendar planning, clean out vehicles, clutter control (we attempt to have a "put it away right away" thing here and an "everything has its place")
Seasonal is anything revolving around the holidays and seasons, yard work, gardening, our garage, changing batteries, air filters, car maintenance, holding a garage sale, cleaning out closets and drawers, donating to those in need, etc.
Word of encouragement from an experienced homemaker of twenty eight years with different seasons of life - there are going to be circumstances that come like job loss, medical issues, moving, a new baby, circumstantial depression, relationship stressors, care taking, grieving, etc., that will no doubt interrupt or slow down a household routine. It is in these times you pray, delegate, do the next thing, keep moving with the most important tasks, seek the Lord for wisdom and strength, and seek the help of others. These are seasons that draw you close to Him as you look to Him for wisdom and strength. However, word of warning that when times are more at ease it is important for you and your household to be blameless with your duties and time. I find the biggest struggle for women is an over emphasis on self-care and self-indulgence. It is good for me to examine at the end of the day with what I did with my time. I can track on my device how many hours I have spent a week on the internet. I can see where our house needs care. I remind myself that God gave me this home and I am accountable to Him how I manage it each day. I love the verses that encourage me to press on in His strength and the wisdom He gives us each day. I like to begin and end the day with prayer. I pray giving thanks for the specific things about the day and for specific needs and in the morning I give thanks for His new mercies and pray for His directing of my day. The duties in a home are many and should be managed well. The blessings He gives are for all who visit or dwell here. That's the beauty of a godly, well managed home. Start with establishing a basic routine - daily, weekly, and seasonally. Communicate with those in the household what needs to be done each day. We use lists, notes, family meetings, a calendar, a marker board and plenty of encouragement to one another. As the house twirls from week to week, be an example of one who desires to serve others and serve the Lord in the home. Ask Him daily for wisdom and strength. Visit with and seek advice from those who manage their homes well.
Benefits of Teaching by Example
Teaching by modeling is a helpful method. Many of the things I learned came by getting to know older women and visiting in their homes. I enjoyed working alongside them. We women love to task with one another and learn so much by being together. I enjoy hosting women of all ages who visit and experience the everyday life around here. Hosting a dinner from start to finish including a time of family worship, dessert, and cleanup models so much for others. The house hums with activity and the conversation can be light or deep depending on the company around the table. Hospitality should be a goal in every home. The Lord commands us to practice it. For me it is the best motivator to get those daily and weekly tasks done when I know I am hosting later in the week. I find that in the summer season and the holidays, our door twirls the most. Hosting young people has been more frequent since we are currently raising teens in our home. I enjoy hearing what they like and what they notice about our place and that they can come relax and chat about their day.
Conclusion
Our home is the Lord's. Therefore we need to take care of our homes, enjoy fellowship with one another, and show hospitality for His glory. The tasks are before us everyday. We need to be good stewards of our home and our time. There is a warning in Proverbs not to fold our hands or much disaster will come to our tent. We need to guard our hearts from selfishness, self-pity, laziness, self-indulgence, lack of self care, and being busy-bodies. Instead, we need to fix our eyes on Christ, pursue each day with purpose that is useful, healthy, and redeems the time. We serve those in our home by His love and guidance and we should be thankful for the blessings He gives to His children whom He loves. We should be thankful for His sovereignty and grace each day. Building a godly home one day at a time is a testimony of our gratitude and love to Christ who purchased us and calls us His own. May we press on each day with a cheerful willingness to learn and obey what He calls us to do.
