Being keepers at home is often a thankless job. It requires so much of our time and energy and does not seem to have many rewards. As I pondered what to write here, I was reminded that all the house chores can be overwhelming at times. There are many tasks that need to be done to keep our home running smoothly. I recalled the times I did not find joy in keeping house; how often I felt like just a maid and babysitter, feeling taken for granted. It can get discouraging, leading to questions about whether or not our contributions to the world are worthy, both now and for eternity.

Recently I had the opportunity to read small biographical sketches on a few women who focused their entire lives on being keepers at home. Mothers and grandmothers who’s lives were spent serving their families and didn’t know that generations later they would still have an impact. To name a few, women like Susanna Wesley, who’s sons were considered among the great Reformers; or Mary Washington, mother of our first president George Washington. A more recent mother comes to mind: Rev. Billy Graham’s mother. I’m quite certain that these ladies and others did everyday chores serving their families and many of them didn’t have modern day appliances to help them along. I wonder if, on the days when they were discouraged, they asked the same questions. “What am I doing this for? Is this worth the effort?”

Then I remember that Christ was a servant. He was surrounded by people everyday who only were interested in the miracles He performed; for what He could do for them. He knew that those very same people were going to turn on Him and want Him dead. Yet, He still served them. Everyday. He was and still is taken for granted by many. He gave up His life because He loved people. He humbled Himself and becoming a servant even unto death so that we might have life (Phil. 2:6-8).

These women knew that there was a purpose for their lives. They knew that they were serving their families as an example of Christ’s service to us. It is very encouraging to know that my role has a purpose.

As I strive to be more like Christ, I realize that in the everyday cleaning up the dishes, laundry, bathrooms, toys, and cooking meals, I need to have an attitude of servanthood. Is it worth it? The answer is a resounding “yes, it is.” Are there rewards? Knowing that I am serving God when I serve my family (Col. 3:23) is one. Knowing that I am creating a secure environment for my family to grow in is another. When I serve them by keeping food on the table and cleaning house I give them the stability of knowing that home is a place of peace, comfort and shelter from the world. The environment I am helping to create will have a lifetime effect on my whole family, and if the Lord doesn’t return soon, on the next generation to come.

“She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” Proverbs 31:27