Homemaking has fallen on hard times. Once seen as an important and dignified vocation, it is now as likely to be disparaged as celebrated. I know few young women who intend to take it up as their main vocation, and few parents who are raising their daughters to assume or even consider it. What may have been common just one or two generations ago has become quite rare.
Homemaking is the subject of Marci Ferrell’s Homemaking Matters, and I should clarify a couple of things right from the outset. First, I did not understand the purpose of the book to be advocating for women to make homemaking their primary vocation. Neither did I take it to be a call for all women to return to being full-time stay-at-home moms. Second, when she refers to homemaking, she means more than women who remain at home to raise children. Rather, she refers to an essential task for any woman, whether or not she is married, whether or not she has children, and whether or not she has a job outside of the home. “Whether you’re single, married, raising a family, or walking through a slower-paced season, we are all homemakers because we are all making a home—a place where God’s love can flourish and His presence can be known.”
She describes a single question that, years ago, transformed her own attempts at homemaking: “How can I honor God in this moment?” This question changed her understanding of homemaking so that it was no longer a long succession of unenviable and thankless tasks she had to plod through, but a means through which she could serve the Lord. This question didn’t change the work, but it did change the heart that needed to complete the work. She came to see that “homemaking is more than just making it through the day and tackling what needs to be done. It’s an opportunity to reflect Christ’s heart right where we are. Our homes are places where we live out the gospel through acts of love and faithful service to those around us.”
Ferrell is now well past the little years and writes with a seasoned maturity. In fact, she takes on the role of mentor to younger women, encouraging them to embrace both the roles and the tasks the Lord has assigned to them. “Whether you’re just starting your journey as a homemaker or have been tending to your home for decades, my prayer is that you see the eternal purpose in the work you do each day. This book isn’t here to add more to your plate. It’s meant to help you recognize the beauty and meaning in what you’re already doing.”
She begins by encouraging women to find purpose in the ordinary—in the day-to-day routines that make up so much of life and so much of homemaking—then describes the sacredness of everyday tasks. Such mundane tasks are sacred because they can be done for the good of others and the glory of God. “Reflecting God’s glory means displaying His character in daily life, not striving to do impressive things. It’s showing His kindness and care through our actions and attitudes. When we approach our work with gratitude and humility, we give those around us a glimpse of His heart. A tidy, welcoming home reflects the peace and order God brings to our lives. A gentle word to a tired little one shows His tender compassion. These are beautiful ways the Lord allows us to display His presence to our loved ones at home.”
She moves on to describe the ministry of home and the blessing that comes through offering hospitality. She tells of the importance of modeling Christ before other household members through displaying grace, seeking and offering forgiveness, prioritizing Scripture, speaking wisely, and resting in Christ. She goes to the Bible to show how God has reserved a special role in the home that he means for women to fill.
In later chapters, she describes the beauty of mentorship, calls women to prioritize disciplines that foster devotion and spiritual growth, and helps them learn to rest in the sufficiency of Christ. She insists that in God’s economy, homemaking is significant and makes an impact that is nothing less than eternal. Ultimately, she wants Christian women to know that homemaking is a means through which they can bring glory to God.
Though I’m obviously not the target audience for Homemaking Matters, I am thankful that Ferrell wrote it and glad to have read it. Her burden is to help women understand how the tasks they carry out in the home connect to their God-given purpose, and she accomplishes that well. Her goal is not to have women resign from their jobs and become full-time homemakers, but rather to help every woman understand that God has called her to a specific role within the home—her home—and then to faithfully embrace it. She proves, just as the title says, that in the eyes of God, homemaking truly matters.
