As modern women, our lives are constantly on the go. Many of us operate out of drive-thru kitchens and hotel bedrooms. And as a result of being so crazy-busy, we often give little priority to nurturing the home and the life that lives in it. I know, because I battle this every single day.
As a result of my busyness, homemaking typically gets pushed to the back of my to-do list.
As God has convicted me in this area, I have come to realize just how much I am missing out on. My home could be one of my biggest assets for ministry and spreading the gospel. The more I’ve studied God’s Word, the more convinced I’ve become about the importance of managing my home well. Not for my glory. Not to have a Pinterest-perfect house. But to honor God and His Word (Titus 2:5).
The more my eyes have been opened to in-home ministry opportunities, the more I’ve desired to make my home a place of hospitality, order, and peace.
I’ll be the first to confess that homemaking isn’t easy, though. I have to fight hard to be intentional about keeping things in order. And the truth is, if I didn’t have a bigger motivation for cleaning and doing laundry, I just might not do it. Seriously.
However, I have seen God use my home as a place of blessing, ministry, rest, and peace for so many that I am motivated to keep working hard.
I have discovered that homemaking isn’t a “thing of the past” to God, but a highly important job that helps aid in ministering the gospel to everyone who walks through my door. And I believe this is exactly why we, as Christian women, are praised and encouraged to do this in Scripture (Proverbs 31:27, Titus 2:5).
Here are 4 reasons why we, as modern Christian women, should embrace the lost art of homemaking.
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Influence for the Gospel
We see the “home” all throughout Scripture as a primary setting where gospel work took place. The early church grew and thrived as a result of families opening up their homes. The same is still true today.
I read an amazing story about an unsaved, liberal, and lesbian woman who despised the church. However, a local Christian family invited her into their home for dinner, and over the course of time (and many dinners) she ended up becoming a Christian. This woman wanted nothing to do with church, but was willing to enter someone’s home and share a meal.
The home is the perfect place for reaching the lost by inviting them into your life and showing love within your home (Heb. 13:2).
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Hospitality is Commanded
This was a tough one to swallow when I first discovered this. Hospitality isn’t recommended in Scripture – it’s commanded (many times). 1 Peter 4:9 says, “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” Why is this so important to God? Because hospitality is the heartbeat for evangelism and ministry.
Showing hospitality means opening up your home to anyone and everyone in need.
Out of town guests, missionaries needing a place to rest, neighbors coming over for dinner, etc. If your house is constantly in a chaotic and messy state, how willing will you be to show hospitality? And if you are willing, what kind of testimony does your house display to the unsaved?
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Impact on the Community
The early Christian church (Acts) thrived as a result of believers opening up their homes to one another. Meetings, secret gatherings, and church services were all held within the four walls of someone’s home. And look at the impact that the early church has had on history.
The home is a place like none other. It’s different than the coffee shop, gym, office, grocery store, or church building. It’s a place we can encourage relationships to grow deeper and conversations to thrive.
Throughout history, the home has been the launching pad for huge, world-changing movements. If you want to have a huge impact on your community, start by inviting them into your home and show them Christ’s love through hospitality. You never know what could happen.
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Order and Peace in a Chaotic World
What is the number one thing most people long for in this life? Peace. Peace from the pain, personal struggles, relational issues, past hurts, financial burdens, etc. Most people crave peace.
In a world that is filled with so much chaos, instability, and lack of peace, the home is the perfect place to experience peace.
Imagine how inviting and intriguing it would be for a person with a chaotic life to come into your home and experience order, cleanliness, peace, and a home-cooked meal. Imagine how blessed and encouraged people would leave your home feeling. Imagine how inviting the gospel would seem in an environment like that.
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They’re relevant and desperately needed practices in today’s broken society. I pray you will join me in adding homemaking and hospitality to your priority list. I pray you will join me in embracing the lost art of homemaking . . . not for our own sakes, but for the sake of advancing the gospel.
Let’s chat more about this topic!
I’d love to hear from you below. What fun and doable ideas have been helpful to you in showing hospitality to others?
Have you noticed all the links to homemaking?
It’s amazing timing that Kristen wrote this post for submission in February, and I {Elisa} scheduled it for April, not knowing that the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle would be on sale at the same time! It is a fabulous resource full of creative ideas that will enable you to put the biblical principles Kristen described into motion. Click here to learn more.
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