Holy Ground Begins at Home: Psalm 101 on Homemaking

“I will ponder the way that is blameless…I will walk with integrity of heart within
my house. I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.”
Psalm 101: 2 (ESV)

When I was a little girl, I used to play “house” for hours with my cousins. We’d make our rooms out of plastic-woven tri-fold beach chairs turned on their sides and use old cranberry boxes for a stove, chair, and kitchen table. We made up rules as we played: “You can be the mom.” “You pretend you’re going to find food in the forest.” “It’s my turn to use the telephone!” which was actually my father’s wooden hand sander. 

Fast forward 45 years, and I’ve not only raised my own family, but now I listen with joy as my grandchildren play “house” in my living room. 

Many Christian women care deeply about homemaking. After all, our homes are often the holy ground where much of our calling is lived out. Inside our four walls, we offer the Lord our everyday lives: the effort of our hands, the creativity of our minds, the planning and carrying out of our ministry.  We spend much time contemplating what a godly home looks like and how the gospel informs and changes our work in the home.

A Different Picture of Homemaking

The idea of Biblical homemaking is worshipped in some spheres and scoffed at in others. Social media inundates us with ideas about homemaking and when the algorithm figures out that you like that kind of thing, you start getting a mixture of expensive home decorating, viral must-have items, party and event planning, idyllic gardens, dreamy tablescapes, bread baking tutorials, and homesteading which may or may not include milking cows and canning tomatoes in linen dresses. With all the homemaking marketing that comes our way,  it’s easy to believe that all these lovely things are the essential homemaking things, when they are not.

In Psalm 101, we are brought back to the foundational truths about Christian homemaking in an uncommon look at the subject written from a man’s point of view. 

Many call Psalm 101 the householders’ psalm because David wrote it when he entered family life and took on the role of King of Israel. It’s a vow to holiness for himself, his family, and his kingdom. And far from being concerned with an outward aesthetic, David starts with a heart fully devoted to knowing God’s character and practicing personal integrity. 

In His Word

 “I will ponder the way that is blameless…I will walk with integrity of heart within my own house …I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.” Ps. 101:2a,b-3a

David the king, who could do whatever he wanted in an earthly sense, establishes what he will do and what he won’t do as he enters this new sphere of influence. He was voluntarily submitting himself to a higher law, the will of the King of Kings. Not only did he know what was right, he lived it. His heart followed hard after God. That love was the source that motivated his choices in the direction of righteous living in his public role and private quarters. 

He walked with integrity of heart within his own house. Isn’t that such a refreshing truth? Faithful living in the home is seen as essential and is more important than keeping up appearances or keeping up with the latest IG homemaking trend! Starting in the privacy of our own homes and working outward from there, we can honor God and influence the sphere where God has placed us. We can honor God with our lives, and in turn encourage our family, which strengthens our churches and influences our communities towards righteousness.  

In Your Life

Do you want to make a difference for Christ?

• Are you, like David, willfully aligning with God’s ways, pondering the perfect path? 
• Are you faithful in the unseen moments, walking in integrity of heart in the privacy of your own home?  Would your family say that you behave at church the same way you behave at home?
• Are you devoting your time to worthless things? What has captured your gaze?
• What will it mean for you to walk in integrity in your own home? What sin will you need to put off? What virtue will you need to put on?
• Pray Psalm 25:4,5. Ask the Lord to lead you in His perfect path.

We Recommend

(A) Typical Woman by Abigail Dodds. In a culture that either idolizes womanhood or demeans it, Abigail does a great job reminding us of who we are as women in Christ. 

Because He Loves Me by Elyse Fitzpatrick. A classic book about not only believing the gospel for salvation, but remembering the gospel in your daily work. If you are scrapping for worth and “scratching around for glory here on earth,” this book will encourage you to remember Christ. 

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Sarah Beals is a wife, mother of six, and grandmother of 7. She lives in beautiful New England and writes about Christian living, home education, hospitality, and creative pursuits at Joyfilleddays.com and on Instagram.