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Look Well to the Ways of Your Household

 Inside: Are you looking well to the ways of your household? It’s a gentle encouragement to pause, reflect, and remember the beauty and purpose of your calling at home—by His grace and for His glory.

As part of managing and caring for our homes come the care and affection of the loved ones, the Lord has placed in our care.

She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

—Proverbs 31:27

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

—Titus 2:3–5 (emphasis mine)

I want to come alongside you today and ask you to prayerfully consider this question:

Do I look well to the ways of my household?


Working at Home

In Titus 2:5, we are called to be working at home. Other translations say keepers of the home, busy at home, home lovers, or taking care of their homes. However it’s worded, the meaning is the same: we are to care for our homes. Home is our primary ministry.

Our husbands should be able to trust us to be diligent in the work the Lord has called us to.

“There were some women who supposed that, the moment they became Christians, they were to run about everywhere. ‘No,’ says the apostle, ‘let them keep at home.’ There is no gain to the Christian Church when the love, and the industry, and the zeal, which ought to make a happy home, are squandered upon something else.”

—Charles Spurgeon

Managing the Home Well

In Proverbs 31:27, we see the example of a godly woman who looks well to the ways of her household. While our husbands are the head of the home and we are called to submit to their authority, we have been entrusted with the management of the home.

There is much to care for just in the daily upkeep—meals, laundry, clothing, organizing, and planning. But we also get to delight in making our homes a haven—a place of peace, joy, and welcome. There should be a sense of order and calm that blesses everyone who walks through the door.

But our role goes far beyond physical management, doesn’t it?

Part of caring for the home is caring for the people in it. That means affection, intentional time together, and loving service. It means hugs and kisses, warm meals, and lots of “I love you’s” spoken and lived out through simple acts of kindness and sacrifice.

We’re called not only to care for physical needs but also to be faithful in caring for the spiritual needs of our family.


Spiritual Care and Example

What example are you setting in your home? What are the words coming out of your mouth? Are your conversations full of grace and truth and aligned with God’s Word (Philippians 4:8)?

One of the ways we look well to the ways of our household is in our Christian conduct. Are we modeling repentance, forgiveness, and joy in the Lord? Are we intentional in the spiritual training of our children?

If we don’t take the time to plan and purpose in this area, we can easily find ourselves eating the bread of idleness—wasting opportunities to speak of the Lord and train our children in truth.

Let’s not get caught in comparing our spiritual routines with other families. Focus on the needs of your own household. You know your children—their personalities, temptations, strengths, and weaknesses. You know your own heart too. Be diligent, prayerful, and intentional in meeting the unique spiritual needs of your family.


Our Strength in Christ

Managing our homes and shepherding our children takes hard work—and a lot of love. We are not to be lazy. We’re called to use our time wisely and to lay down our lives in love for our husbands and children.

And Who is our perfect example of this kind of love?

Jesus.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant… he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

—Philippians 2:3–8

If we are in Christ, we are not alone in this calling. We have everything we need through the power of the Holy Spirit to love our families and manage our homes well—for His glory.


The Fruit of Faithfulness

What is the reward of living out our faith in the care of our home and family?

Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:

—Proverbs 31:28

That’s a beautiful picture of the fruit that can come when we faithfully serve our families.

But let me gently remind you—even if your husband and children don’t honor or appreciate you the way you hope, if you are in Christ, you are fully known and deeply loved by the God of the Universe. His love for you is perfect and unwavering.

We live to please an audience of One.

Seek first His Kingdom. Be faithful to what He’s called you to do. Look to Him to meet all your needs.


“There needs to be a homemaker exercising some measure of skill, imagination, creativity, desire to fulfill needs and give pleasure to others in the family. How precious a thing is the human family. Is it not worth some sacrifice in time, energy, safety, discomfort, work? Does anything come forth without work?”

—Edith Schaeffer

Final Thoughts

Do your best here on this earth. Be obedient to the task God has given you. Look well to the ways of your household—not in your own strength, but with the strength the Lord so graciously provides.

Let your home be a place of refuge, discipleship, and grace—a place where Christ is honored and your family is loved.

You are not alone. And your work matters more than you know.

 

 

10 Comments

  1. Anonymous says:

    I am really struggling in this area. I’m glad I came across this today.

  2. tamara m hall says:

    Thank you for your article. In today’s world where women are expected, need or just plain want to work outside of the home, it is so nice to find those who encourage where we really need to be.

    1. Marci Ferrell says:

      Thank you for your encouragement Tamara 🙂

  3. Sharon Samuel says:

    Really needed in these times when it’s easy to drift away from our God given privileges to cherish a family

    1. Marci Ferrell says:

      So agree Sharon. Thank you for stopping by xo

  4. lovely post, thank you!

    1. Marci Ferrell says:

      Thank you Helen 🙂

  5. Sarah @ The Life of This Mother says:

    I love this and is coming at a time where God is maturing me more and more as a home manager. I am now getting consistent sleep and have no excuse {most days} not to look well to the ways of our home. I am excited about growing and furthering my love for God and my family through caring for our home and the needs within. I also have restless moments that I bring to the Lord so as to keep my focus and not be lazy. Thank you for great encouragement and I’ll be saving this!

    1. Marci Ferrell says:

      Sarah what a blessing and encouragement your comment was today. Praising the Lord for the love you have for your family 🙂

  6. I enjoyed reading this so much. Thank you for the reminder of Who we are working for.
    Blessings,
    Linda

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