Contentment as a Homemaker
If you’re a regular reader of my posts, it’s likely that you and I are alike in two ways. I’m a Christian above all else, but secondly, I am a dreamer- and I’m thinking you probably are too. And sometimes, being a dreamer can very quickly lead to a lack of contentment if we aren’t careful.
This past October, my husband and I had a sort of ‘last straw’ moment with apartment life. Funny, I don’t even remember that final straw anymore, but it sent us down this deep, deep hole of searching for a home to purchase.
With one road block after another, we finally decided to re-up our lease on a month-to-month basis. I was so disappointed, and I finally realized that my mind had been consumed by wishful thinking for months, and I was convicted. while most of my reasons for wanting to move were not vain, I still had some discontent I needed to deal with.
How did I do that?
1. Confession and Repentance.
I think sometimes when we have a bad attitude, we tend to think that’s all it is. It’s just a surface sourness, and we can just put another attitude on. But the very sinful root of a bad attitude can be bitterness, ungratefulness, selfishness, discontent, or a big jumble of all of them.
It’s most important that we confess our sinful discontent to the sovereign God of our circumstances, and repent of those sins, day after day, each time they return.
Sanctification is a painful process, but the Lord is faithful to give us strength and preserve us.
2. Freshen Up the Space
This can come in the form of a deep clean, painting a wall, sewing or buying some new covers for the throw pillows, or rearranging a room.
Loving your home means caring for it and the people in it well. I find that when the seeds of discontent begin to grow, I tend to neglect certain regular duties- like going on strike against my home could actually make any difference.
A good whole-house clean can make a space feel fresh and set us back into a rhythm of faithful diligence in caring for our homes.
Hanging a new picture or painting a room a new color can give a sense of a brand new space, and inspire new ways to live in and love our homes.
3. Dig Deeper Roots
When we spend too much time dreaming of a home that isn’t ours yet, we can easily get into a temporal mentality. We hesitate to make our houses into homes because we don’t want to really settle into them.
But I want to encourage you- settle.
The day I realized my sinful attitude, I knew I needed to be more than okay with some sense of permanence in our current space.
I had been putting off gardening because ‘what if we move?’ But moving wasn’t happening. So I went to the store and bought some plants and seeds and spent the day setting up my porch garden with the expectation of being here to harvest.
So whether you plant the garden or buy the chicks, work on your expectations.
If you’re like me, you probably do have some very good motivations for wanting a different space, like hospitality, children, good stewardship, etc. And to those reasons, I say ‘way to go’. Those are wonderful motivations for having a plan and a dream. But we also have to remember our humanity- and that even if 99/100 of our reasons are good, we will still have at least one selfish one.
When I was in the throes of my disappointment, I was talking (complaining, actually) to an older, wiser woman at church. She said to me, “we will do a lot to justify our discontent”.
She immediately followed it with “I’m sorry, that really did not sound like a friend”, and while yes, it was hard to hear, it was exactly what a good friend should say. It took me days to realize she was right, but once the Lord convicted me, he also began to work on that sinful part of me. So I’ll leave you with a challenge.
Be patient. Be faithful to your duties. Love your homes, and love your families. For the Lord is patient, faithful, and loving toward us.
Until Next Time
Rebekah
About the Blog
Headed For a Homestead is a personal blog about homemaking and homesteading wherever you are. Here you’ll learn new skills, find new recipes, and be encouraged.
