A peek inside: Are you a homemaker with a servant’s heart? Through purposeful homemaking, you have a unique opportunity to be an incredible blessing to your people– inside and outside of your home. Your role will be a true ministry when you learn how homemakers can serve others! Read on for ideas!
As homemakers, we already know what a tremendous service we offer to our families and our four walls.
Our lives are spent doing tasks that make everyone else’s lives more beautiful, more simple, and more manageable, while (hopefully) pointing them to Jesus.
Because of our roles as homemakers and the intentional margin in our day, we also have a unique opportunity to share this service with people outside of our four walls.
We can pour our intentional hearts all over our friends, extended family, and community and see what a fun, fulfilling life God designed for us!
We get to be the hands and feet of Jesus and use our homemaking to serve others.
A Homemaker with a Servant’s Heart
Being a homemaker with a servant’s heart means striving to be more like Jesus, the ultimate servant.
In the middle of our daily chores and responsibilities, it means approaching our role with love, compassion, and selflessness; having an outward focus and looking for ways to love and serve others.
This is one of the reasons I love being a homemaker— keeping a routine but having the freedom and capacity to deviate from it when a spontaneous opportunity presents itself.
As an example, a few weeks ago, I ran to the store to pick up some flowers and chocolates for my friend’s birthday. I ran into my son’s cross country coach, who told me he had just suffered a loss in his family, and he was taking the morning off to be with his wife.
I did a quick mental review of ingredients I had in my house and picked up a few more. When I got home, I prepared a simple pasta meal and portioned out another from some leftover pulled pork and buns and then texted Coach that we would be doing a porch drop off that afternoon.
It was a little time out of my day, but Coach was so appreciative.
The next day, I was texting with a friend who told me she and her daughter were sick. I happened to be making potato soup that night for supper and asked if she’d like me to run some over.
She replied, “This is exactly what I need! I sent my husband to the store for soup and he came back with the canned stuff.”
This is why we need girlfriends. LOL!
I love that a simple bowl of soup was a comfort to her in her sickness, and that I live a life where I got to be the one to make it for her.
Serving God and loving others should be at the heart of our homemaking role. It’s a blessing for them, but also for us. Read on for a list of ways to use your homemaking to serve others.
How Homemakers Can Serve Others
1| Make a meal
I’ve already given this example, so we’ll start there. Food just nurtures people.
Whether it’s taking soup to a friend or making an extra plate for your elderly neighbor a couple times a week, sharing a meal is such a simple way to show you care.
2| Help with projects
With some extra time on our hands, it’s nice when we can help others with projects. It might mean helping a friend weed her garden or helping her get ready for a party.
3| Run errands
Sometimes people can’t get out and about for one reason or another. Maybe they’re homebound, even temporarily with an illness.
It takes a load off their plate when you say, “I can pick up your grocery order,” or “I’m going to return books to the library, want me to grab you anything while I’m out?”
4| Show hospitality
Oh man! This is a dying art! People are so disconnected nowadays.
Invite someone into your (imperfect) home and offer them true connection.
>>> Click here for more Christian hospitality ideas
5| Provide childcare
You can help people by watching their kiddos.
Whether you want to do that regularly or not is up to you (and there may be times when you have to set a boundary), but most of the time it’s pretty easy to offer to watch a friend’s child so they can attend an appointment or even just stroll through a store without their little ones in tow.
6| Volunteer somewhere
Lots of places are looking for volunteers. You’ll be fulfilling a real need and I bet it’ll fill you up, too!
I have a friend who is so good about this. She volunteers at a children’s hospital for a couple hours every other week, and at a hospice every Friday. I love to hear her stories and it is obviously very meaningful for her.
7| Share your skills and talents
What are you good at? People could use your help!
That might mean teaching a friend how to make sourdough bread or hemming their daughter’s homecoming dress.
Friends know I’m good with the words, so often they’ll text me and say, “Make this sound good!” whether that’s for a resume or an important email.
You might be able to help someone revamp a space in their home or solve some sort of problem with your expertise.
>>>Click here if you want to work on your homemaking skills!
8| Be a noticer
A lot of this is just looking for ways to be of service. When you go out into the world with your heart open, your eyes can see opportunities to serve much more clearly.
Sometimes this means seeing an older lady reaching for something on the high shelf at the grocery store and giving her a hand.
Other times this means picking up on your friend’s change in demeanor and asking if she’s ok. You never know what kind of burden you might help her carry if you give her the chance to open up and talk about it.
One of the greatest things we can do in a busy world is to stop and take the time to notice people.
>>Do you feel the world is too busy too? Read about slow homemaking.
9| Be an encourager
Sometimes all we can offer is an encouraging word.
Maybe there isn’t a practical solution, but being able to uplift someone when they’re going through hard things, or they’re feeling burnt out could be just what they need.
Even if they’re not going through a hard time, being a champion for others is an incredible gift. Calling out the good things you see in someone can brighten their entire day.
“That lipstick color is so gorgeous on you!” or “You are such a good mom!” are surefire ways to instantly make someone feel like a million bucks.
10| Be available in general
What does this mean? It means you leave your day and your heart open with the mindset that it’s ok to be interrupted.
It means you can (and should) have a schedule and a routine, but you allow God to dictate your day, and walk in obedience as he shows you what he’d rather have you accomplish that day.
Ready to Serve Others as a Homemaker?
I hope you enjoyed reading through all the different ways you can serve others in your homemaking role. Keep your eyes peeled because I have a feeling you’re going to start seeing so many opportunities!
Do you have a favorite way to serve others as a homemaker? Let me know and keep on serving!
Read Also:
Becoming a Good Homemaker (deeper than cleaning tips and time management)
Modern Homemaking for Christian Moms in today’s world
Being a Good Steward of Time for Homemakers
Importance of a Homemaker (in case you needed to be reminded of your value)