When Homemaking Becomes An Idol
When my husband and I got married, I was a terrible homemaker.
I couldn’t cook, my cleaning skills were limited, and ruining clothes while doing laundry became the norm.
To say that I was frustrated would be an understatement.
But as time passed, it became easier and I started to enjoy keeping the home. In fact, I took my homemaker role so seriously that I wanted everything to be perfect.
When Homemaking Became My Idol
I quickly became consumed with my homemaking tasks, to the point that I had very little time for God or my family.
From the moment I woke up, I wanted to tackle a new house project or cross a task off my to-do list. Weekends were no longer set aside to enjoy with the family and recharge. I spent Saturdays cleaning from dusk ’til dawn. Sundays were better, but I certainly wasn’t honoring the Sabbath. My home, and my role as a keeper of the home, had become an idol.
“The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.”~ Proverbs 14:1 (ESV)
The problem wasn’t that I wanted to serve my family by keeping a clean and comfortable home.
The real issue was that my heart was focusing on the earthly rewards and praises.
This was also causing friction in our home because I was always too busy for my family. My poor kids couldn’t enjoy time with their mom because I was busy cleaning or organizing a space. And my husband had to deal with my constant requests to paint, fix, and replace things around the house. Yes, some were necessary, but most were to satisfy my own selfish desires.
How To Have A Healthy Balance
Allow God to lead
Make God the center of your homemaking.
In other words, prayerfully seek His guidance in all that you do. God knows our needs and when we put Him in first place, He will ensure that everything else is taken care of. I find that when I start out the day seeking God’s word and guidance, my day goes much smoother. I’m able to work diligently even when things don’t go as planned. God wants what’s best for us, and if we allow the Holy Spirit to take the lead, He will ensure that our homes and families are taken care of.
“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” ~ Psalm 127:1 (ESV)
Simplify Your Cleaning Routines
Your cleaning routine should be based on your family’s needs and not on what an expert tells you it should be.
I personally need to wake up to a clean kitchen each day since it’s where I spend a lot of time in the morning. I rarely leave dishes in the sink the night before. For you, it might be something else like laundry. Whatever it is, base your cleaning routine and schedule around that. Spread it our throughout the week by blocking out pockets of time for each task. However, don’t make things overly complicated by adding more than you can handle or by creating unnecessary work for yourself.
Let It Go
Sometimes it’s easier to step away and let things be.
I’m pretty strict when it comes to my laundry routine. I’m not a fan of playing catch up, so I try to avoid it as much as possible. However, when life gets super busy and I can’t keep up, I simply let it go. Now it may only be for a few days, but sometimes we need to give ourselves grace and trust that everything will get back on track. When I find that things are unraveling around me, I cry out to the Lord and ask for guidance. I truly believe that God allows these moments in our lives to grab our attention, so we can focus on the things that truly matter.
*Do you find yourself obsessing about your homemaking? Has it become more important than God or your family?
My prayer is that you will seek God’s guidance and wisdom going forward. Remember that homemaking is just a fraction of our lives. God has a greater purpose for us, and if we allow Him to lead, our reward will be much greater.
Blessings,
Jesenia
