It is.

It really is okay to be a homemaker, a housewife, a stay-at-home Mum, whatever you want to call it. I was pondering this as I vacuumed my house today.

I reckon this job is the most denigrated job in the Western world nowadays.

And it is a job. It is hard work with absolutely no financial rewards.

And that is what this world values highly isn’t it? Money. Power and prestige go a long way too.  But generally what the world values and considers important is the opposite to what God values and considers important.

Being a homemaker has none of those rewards. The work one does is generally thankless. There is certainly no prestige to scrubbing toilet bowls and making shopping lists. And power? Good grief – what’s that?

But I will confess – I love it.

Yes I do. I enjoy cleaning up and keeping my house tidy. I enjoy folding washing and putting it away. I take pride in my home and like sharing it with others. I enjoy growing vegies in my garden and the reward of harvesting them. I enjoy buying trinkets and decorative items for our home. Does this make me shallow and materialistic? Maybe. Yet I will continue to like it anyway. I love being there when my kids are home from school. I love being able to help them with homework and listen to readers. (Disclaimer: I do dislike cleaning the shower and ironing, any ironing…)

Am I a martyr?

I don’t think so. I just have zero ambition in the workplace. Absolutely ZERO. Gosh that even sounds wrong to me to admit to that.

The thought of climbing a corporate ladder does not appeal to me. All that effort and energy going into some impersonal corporation – ew. But the thought of putting effort and energy into my family and kids, the idea that I can build something into them by being with them and making their home lovely gives me pleasure.  I AM this kind of “ambitious” when it comes to my family.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a problem with mums who do paid work. I think they are amazing. I honestly don’t know how they do it. I get that the system is set up so that most families can only survive on double incomes. And single mums? I know lots of them and wow, they are quite simply heroes – carrying the burden of everything at once.

But I do want to free up stay-at-home mums. For the last few decades what we do has been cast aside as pathetic, old-fashioned and value-less.

I am here to say that being a homemaker is the exact opposite of that.

It is not pathetic to take pride in your work around the home and with your children. It is a GOOD thing. God’s Word says :

“And whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord…” Colossians 3:23

You can be a home-maker and intelligent.  You can be a housewife and contribute to society.  You can be a stay-at-home Mum and be inspired.  What we do is just as important as paid work.

For any stay-at-home mums out there, what you are doing is worth more than a billion dollars. You are creating a loving, caring, clean and lovely home for your family. You are building into your children, time, energy, effort, love and there is no way to measure that value.

Take heart, there is someone who sees your hard work and He will reward you one day.

God bless,

Belinda