I just moved the clothes from the washer to the dryer. I unloaded the dishwasher and reloaded it, emptying the sink of most of our dirty dishes. Oh, and I emptied the trash can in the bathroom because it was full … again. Does homemaking feel like a never ending job or what? That’s because I guess it is never ending. The laundry is always going to keep piling up around us. The dishes are going to keep filling the sinks, and the trash cans are going to constantly need emptying.

Have you ever wondered, “Is what I’m doing even worth it? Is it even important?” I think many of us as homemakers can get discouraged. We may begin to feel our jobs as homemakers are not significant.

Homemakers consist of several jobs wrapped into one — maid, butler, chauffeur, cook, errand-runner, shopper, scheduler, teacher, babysitter, etc. Do you ever wonder if you are significant? If washing clothes is significant?

Have you thought to yourself, why is it important that I pick up my husband’s dirty socks? Or does it really matter if I empty this trash can again? Is it significant for me to cook another meal for my family?

Why Homemaking is Significant

Women are often homemakers. Women were created to be the helper.

The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” — Genesis 2:18

You see God made us for a purpose. Each and every one of us. And one of those purposes is to be a helper. Helper and homemaker are synonymous.

Woman was not created for her own fulfillment. She was created to be a helper and a nurturer. Now that is not an easy assignment to accept. We tend to bristle and think, “There must be something more significant than that!” – Sacred Marriage

We are called to be like Jesus. One characteristic of Jesus that comes to mind right away is: Servanthood. Jesus was the ultimate servant. He washed the dirty feet of his friends. He fed thousands. And isn’t that all homemaking is? Homemaking is serving and helping our families. But it’s easy for us to feel mundane and insignificant in the midst of it sometimes.

What homemaker hasn’t found herself asking, after the fiftieth load of laundry in a week or when facing yet another sink full of dirty dishes, “Is there anything significant about what I’m doing here?” Yet in God’s eyes, nothing is more significant than servanthood. The path to genuine greatness lies in serving.  – Sacred Marriage

In our society, significance is often misconstrued to mean happiness, fame, success. We may try to find our value in our beauty, level of education, job position, or bank account. But that is not where our value lies. Our significance in God’s eyes — the only thing that matters — is based on our hearts. Do we have hearts that are willing and eager to help and serve others? Significance is found in giving yourself away. In having the heart of a servant. In working to the best of your ability — even if that just means washing the bathroom towels again.

Significance is found in giving your life away, not in selfishly trying to find personal happiness. – Sacred Marriage

Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice. He literally gave his life away for us to be able to go to Heaven. And that was significant. The most significant event we’ve ever known as a human race. And it was all about serving.

If you are struggling with feeling your job as a homemaker is significant, try these tips.

• Stop to think about what would happen if you stopped washing dishes, doing laundry, or buying groceries. What would happen in a day? What would things be like for your family in a week? Remind yourself how valuable you are to your family and how significant your job as homemaker is.
• Ask God to give you a heart of a servant. Pray that while you work in your home, you will work as if you are doing each task for God himself. Ask Him to give you joy as you do even your most dreadful tasks.
• Sometimes all we need is a little recognition and appreciation to feel less discouraged. Explain to your husband how you are feeling and let him know you need to feel more appreciated. Give him some simple examples of how he can help you in your homemaking such as saying thank you when you do the dishes, complimenting the meal you made, or helping fold the laundry.
• Leave notes of encouragement for yourself in areas around your home. Write scriptures or the quotes from Sacred Marriage that I included in this post on post-it notes and place them in areas where you’ll see them such as next to your washing machine or above your kitchen sink.

What other tips do you have for reminding ourselves that our job as a homemaker is significant?

This post was inspired by words from the book (affiliate link) Sacred Marriage. I highly recommend you take the time to read this book.