A Servant's Heart

Homemaking consists of more than having a clean home.   It is my desire to create a home that is a haven for my family and friends.  Dictionary.com defines a haven as a “place of shelter or safety” and a refuge. In my life's journey of becoming a successful homemaker, I have realized that there must be a change of heart before there can be a adjustment in our actions. 

This will be the beginning of a series and despite the fact that many often wrestle with cultivating a servant's heart when it comes to their home and family.  I believe the Lord is teaching me how to go beyond the call of duty as a wife and mother. Which means that I am doing those little things for my family that I know will be a blessing to them because I love them and they are worthy of my love and attention.  Wouldn't you go beyond your way for the Lord Himself? Why not for your own family?

I am currently studying the book of Proverbs focusing on Proverbs 31 as my prayer is that God would allow my husband and children to arise up, and call me blessed. I struggle as a wife, mother and homemaker not to eat the bread of idleness; however, I believe that God will bless me to look well to the ways of my household.

As homemakers, it is our privilege to be the thermostat, so to speak, for our homes. The condition of our hearts and souls determines—or at the very least, influences—the temperature of our home. If we are overwhelmed or have a negative attitude toward our role, then we will struggle in this area.

We must realize that we can worship the Lord through our housework, and recognize our high calling as homemakers, while acknowledging the fact that having a servant’s heart is a command in Scripture.

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”  -Philippians 2:5-8

As Christian homemakers and godly women the ultimate example of humility from the life (and death) of our Savior should be reflected in our hearts. 

Yes, it is easy to say that we desire to have a servant's heart but putting it into practice proves to be challenging.  Unfortunately, pride and selfish tend to make having a humble heart difficult.  Society says that being a servant in any capacity is "beneath" us - caring for our loved one is not important! Society has their own servants - they pay others to do this work for them. But little do they know they are missing out on the greatest gift of all: truly loving others through our actions! 

Here are the three simple things that will assist you in cultivating a servant's heart: 

• Search Your Heart ~ On a daily basis do a quick heart check.  Make a mental note of your attitude toward your responsibilities and determine if they are pure and pleasing to God.  Keep in mind that having the wrong motives or spirit despite doing the right thing is still sinful.
• Seek the Word Search Your Heart~ Meditating on the Word of God by reading the Scriptures and memorizing Bible verses will help you re-direct your thoughts and keep your attitude in check. Eventually this will become a habit and will help you avoid having a disgruntled heart toward housekeeping and your family.
• Say a Prayer ~ Ask God to give you a heart for your home. Plead for a humble heart and the willingness to put the needs of others (specifically your family) ahead of your own. Draw on the strength that only comes from a relationship with the All-Sufficient One. He is the only one that can change your heart and give you the desire to serve.
  
  
  My prayer is that today we spend some time with you Lord and get rejuvenated so that we are fueled up to serve our families with a sweet spirit and a giving heart. May we be motivated to humble ourselves before the Lord, asking Him to give us a willing spirit to serve. We will truly be able to make our home a haven when our hearts are overflowing with humility. 

  So, how do YOU cultivate a heart for your home?

Book Review of "Wife After God"

I first came across Unveiled Wife and her book, Wife After God through Facebook. I placed by order through Amazon and received instant deliver to my Kindle. It is very apparent that the author Jennifer Smith truly sought the Lord regarding this devotional, and genuinely wants to share the beauty of a God centered marriage. I started reading the book that very night in my personal pursuit of drawing closer to God and my wonderful husband.

This devotional is written for both equally and unequally yoked marriages. The primary focus emphasizes how you as a wife can love, encourage and support your husband in his pursuit of becoming the man that God desires for him to be while keeping Christ at the center. While this book is written for all seasons of marriage. I would highly recommend this book for younger wives, newlyweds or babes in Christ.  This heartfelt devotional truly inspires you to be a wife who follows after God. I have gone through the book both on a individual and group setting and thoroughly enjoyed both. Granted the group setting presented a much more in depth study. 
When asked what is this book about Jennifer says it best, "This devotional is designed to walk you through an intense journey of experiencing God, specifically tailored to one of your most important ministry roles -- being a wife!"


Each devotion begins with a few Focus verses, a Thought, where Jennifer has written stories and scriptures to support the Topic of the day. There is also a personal challenge, Journal questions, Prayer and a Twitter status update. I love the challenge ideas and the prayers however the small group study served for better discussion and accountability. Since everything is geared around social media the status update was a great idea. 

Jennifer states that "As a Christian and as a wife there is a responsibility to nurture both your relationship with God and your husband" and I am in total agreement. This book quickly comes to mind as a recommendation for those desiring a more intimate relationship with Christ and their husband. I was highly impressed with this devotional as a group study and was excited to see Wives After God: Encouraging Each Other in Faith & Marriage and would suggest this route for a small group as well. In order to successfully complete this devotional you will need a copy of the book which can be purchased here, a bible and a journal.  If you want to see all the videos related to this series, you can subscribe to the Unveiled Wife YouTube channel .  Completing this devotional definitely had a positive impact on my marriage so I would highly recommend it to others as well.  

Book Details:

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1st edition (June 14, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1481866885
• ISBN-13: 978-1481866880
• Product Dimensions: 0.3 x 5 x 8 inches
• Retail Price: $13.49
• Kindle Edition: $8.49

Disclosure: I purchased this book with my own funds and I was not financially compensated in any way for this post. All opinions expressed are my own and are based on my observations while reading this devotion.