Becoming a Biblical Homemaker: A Gospel Perspective of Home

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Mosquitoes buzz nearby. Sweat rolls down my spine. Cicadas in the trees provide background music. The afternoon sun beats down while our children nap lazily in their air-conditioned bedrooms. Making use of these child-free moments, my husband and I work in tandem—he uses the roller while I wield a brush to paint the trim.

The words “restore screened-in porch and deck” have sat mocking me from my to-do list where they’ve made themselves quite at home these past few months.

What once seemed an easy task of painting turned into a job of painting plus replacing screens and boards, updating the light fixtures, and buying some new furniture and accessories. You probably know how this multiplying phenomenon goes.

Someone watching from across the street might comment how much we love our home. They may equate our work and sweat with a deep commitment to this space, a devotion to the place we call home. They may not guess that at least once a month we entertain the idea of moving.

We browse the listings, check the school zoning map, and calculate the commutes to work and church. It’s not that we don’t appreciate our home. In fact, I’ve grown more attached than I expected after bringing home two babies to this spot on planet Earth.

But eventually, we’ll need something different—a fenced-in backyard for a furry friend and an office with a door instead of a temporary desk in front of the master closet. So we keep our eyes open and try to balance the love and care of our current home with the anticipation of someday finding a new one.

In this tension—loving and living mixed with longing and looking—I see a reflection of our bigger story.

In this tension—loving and living mixed with longing and looking—I see a reflection of our bigger story. #homemaking Click To Tweet

Home as It Was Intended

The Garden of Eden was meant to be Adam and Eve’s forever home. It was a place to commune with God, work without pain or stress, and soak in the beauty of God’s brand-new creation. If you’ve ever breathed in the new-house smell of recent construction or marveled at its fresh paint and unmarred floors, can you imagine what creation was like before sin and death came along to break up the foundation and track mud onto the carpets?

Sin entered, and Adam and Eve were cast out. The first move recorded in history set off a chain reaction throughout all humanity. We move to find resources and provisions. We move to seek out comfort and protection from the outside world. But every home is only a dim reflection of that first home—a paradise in the presence of God.

Every home is only a dim reflection of that first home—a paradise in the presence of God. #homemaking Click To Tweet

A Gospel Perspective on Home

Because of the gospel, we are given hope of our awaiting, perfected home. What has been soiled by sin will be washed away and “according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13 ESV).

In the waiting, we are entrusted with our earthly homes. We are trusted to steward them despite their temporary nature.

I’ve seen two extremes in regard to homemaking. At one extreme, the home transforms from gift to goal, from blessing to idol. Updated spaces, trendy furniture, organized closets, and spotless kitchens draw many of us to real estate shows with eyes shimmering. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to wake up in a beautiful environment and welcome friends inside with confidence, but to know whether these desires for home are pleasing to God, we examine the heart.

For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7 ESV

As children of God, our heart’s desire should be to elevate the giver, not the gift. So while we enjoy our homes, beautify them, and share them with our friends and family, we also guard ourselves against letting our homes distract us from the One who dwells with us.

On the other end of the spectrum, which is closer to where I lived for a number of years, is a missed opportunity to recognize home for the spiritual tool it is. A life-giving home is a Jesus-giving home, a place that offers community, comfort, and rest.

The Middle Ground

Two years ago I read Sally Clarkson’s book, The Life Giving Home. As I read, excitement bubbled up within me. I began to see a way to create a beautiful home that doesn’t dethrone God in my heart but actually encourages the opposite. As I read Sally’s words, mental images of lit candles, book baskets, fuzzy blankets, and cleared counters filled my mind, and for the first time, those images weren’t competing with my desire to live a life that reflects Jesus. In fact, Sally spoke of loving people and serving God by creating a beautiful home.

We live in a material world of wool, linens, and silks. Colors, textures, and shapes speak of God’s creative nature. As we use our spaces to serve our people, welcome the weary, and point to Jesus, we can honor God in our homemaking.

When Jesus died on the cross, two thieves were crucified with him, one on either side. I’ve heard it said that with many things in life, the truth about a topic is found in the middle where Jesus is, not at one extreme or the other. The extremes are thieves that steal from the grace and truth of the gospel.

In homemaking, I’m seeking to keep my perspective in the middle, not at one extreme where houses and possessions are exalted and not at the other extreme where homes aren’t tended and put to use as a tool for the kingdom of God.

So I wait and I labor, but I also enjoy. I paint the deck. I pick up the toys. I replace the broken-down furniture with comfortable, beautiful pieces. I nestle into my white sheets. I light a candle. I bake muffins for a friend. I know this is not my permanent home, but while I reside here, I tend and delight in what God has given me.

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If you’re ready for more biblically-based ideas on how to make your home a welcoming place for family, friends, and the presence of God, check out these posts:

1. When you want to be a Mary (instead of a Martha) but life is overwhelming
2. Switch on the lamp: finding spiritual significance in a simple practice
3. Heart and home: fostering peace by welcoming the presence of God

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