Is homemaking discussed in the Bible? What does God say about homemakers?
If you know anything about me then you know that homemaking is near and dear to my heart. I am passionate about being a homemaker in my own home as well as encouraging other homemakers who are working in theirs.
As a believer I know that the word of God is active and alive and relevant today, tomorrow, and always. So what does the Bible say about homemakers? What does God say about this path He has given for me, and you, to live?
What Does God Say About Homemakers?
We have all heard extensively about the Proverbs 31 woman but a verse about Christian women and wives that I also like is Proverbs 14:1. I am going to share a few different translations to help us get a full picture and understanding of the verse.
“The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.” (NIV)
“Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.” (KJV)
“A woman’s family is held together by her wisdom, but it can be destroyed by her foolishness.” (CEV)
“Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.” (CSB)
Homemakers In the Bible
When I am trying to understand anything in scripture I like to pull up a few different translations like I did above. I have found that this helps me to get a more complete understand of what God is saying.
The best interpretation for scripture is more scripture. So next I look to other parts of the Bible to break down what is being said.
So lets break down the various parts of Proverbs 14:1.
Let’s look to see what scripture says about wisdom so we can better understand what a “wise woman” is? What does scripture say about foolishness? What does God say about homemakers?
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Wisdom
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10 (NIV)
Combining this explanation of wisdom with the original verse, Proverbs 14:1, then I understand a wise woman to be a woman who fears the Lord, spends time working to understand scripture, and acts properly on the knowledge she gains from scripture.
Foolishness
“Folly is an unruly woman; she is simple and knows nothing.” Proverbs 9:13 (NIV)
“The schemes of folly are sin, and people detest a mocker.” Proverbs 24:9 (NIV)
Looking at these verses in scripture I understand a foolish woman to be a woman who mocks others or is disrespectful. A foolish woman breaks God’s laws and uses the skills/intelligences God has given her not for good but for evil.
Building Her House
Does the Bible say that Christian homemaking means a woman must stay home full-time? Is it wrong, sinful, or bad for a woman to work outside of the home? Again, I turn to scripture to get the answers.
It is true that at the time the Bible was written the employment options outside of the home for woman were very slim. Despite that, scripture offers us plenty of examples of women working outside of the home.
Luke 8:3 mentions several women that financial supported Jesus from their own means.
Acts 16:14 talks about Lydia, a “seller of purple”, which was a financially lucrative career in that time.
The woman in Proverbs 31 also worked outside of the home.
Therefore, we can conclude that working outside of the home is not inherently bad or wrong. When we read 1 Timothy 5:8 we learn that staying home to care for your family is work and should be treated as seriously as any other job.
A Christian Homemaker
I love this passage from www.gotquestions.org and feel like it sums up so much of what a Christian homemaker does.
“A Christian homemaker considers it her highest calling to care for her home and family, so she has chosen to set aside her own dreams and career goals while the children are young. The cabinets are well-stocked because she thought ahead and bought on sale. The clothes are washed and pressed regularly so no one has to fear finding nothing to wear. Meals are planned so that the family can eat together whenever possible. School projects are checked, and kids have what they need because she has stayed on top of things. Her husband can focus fully on his job as the sole breadwinner because his wife is taking care of everything else. Homemakers wear many hats: doctor, plumber, chef, chauffeur, teacher, carpenter, repairman, painter, counselor, maid, and researcher. Christian homemaking often includes spiritual adviser and even homeschool teacher.”
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God’s Calling For Homemakers
If God has called you to be a full time homemaker then you have a very noble calling indeed. It is a calling that you should take seriously and worked hard at. You are not simply a stay at home mom/wife. Biblical homemaking means making your family and home your top priority. Biblical homemaking is glorifying to God when you set aside other options to focus on raising your children, supporting your husband, and ultimately furthering the kingdom of heaven.
Let your homemaking be all to the glory of God.
This was such a Great Read, I am called to be a homemaker and this passage was just what I needed to give me clear understanding what what it means to be a homemaker. This question being answered was my exact goal that I set out to achieve tonight and you have been the bridge to me accomplishing that mission. Great works that you do for the Lord! Again you did such a great job relaying the understanding and I’m very proud of you! Thank you again for your work!