Today is the start of a series where we work on building a home management system from scratch. Or, at least, from wherever we are at.
The content of this week’s article is also available in video format. You can watch the video by clicking here. Otherwise, continue on reading this article!
Ekonomia: Home Management Toward Heaven
First of all, why am I using the word Ekonomia? Well, it comes from the Greek word OIKONOMIA, which in English means economy. And in general terms, economy is the ordering of things. It also means the ordering of the house. In Christian terms, we often refer to the Economy of Salvation. That is, the practical means by which God ordains our salvation. (How it happens). In particular, He ordered our salvation to occur by grace through the sacraments, or what we call “holy mysteries,” in Byzantine terms.
Economy also refers to how we manage the resources we have. This includes our stuff, our time, and our finances. And so economy is how we manage our household.
Now, in the Christian sense, our home life is meant to be a reflection of the Trinity. Whether this is through celibacy, or in the sacrament of marriage.
Our goal as Christians is to lead a life in the peace of Christ. This is accomplished through placing our homes under the Lordship of Christ, and under the Ladyship of the Most Holy Theotokos. So in the coming weeks, let’s work together to build a home management system that is ordered toward heaven.
Virtues of Home Management
First of all, why do we need a home management system? Actually there are a lot of practical reasons. It reduces stress, allows you to save money, and to spend less. It makes opening your home to others easier, and increases time for spending on things you enjoy. A home management system improves family relationships and communication. Finally, it is an opportunity to work on the virtue of orderliness. That is, doing what we ought to do, when we ought to, and how we ought to do it.
The virtue of orderliness is central to household management. Managing the household is essential for orderliness, and orderliness is essential for home management. So let’s take a look at the virtue of orderliness.
Virtues are a balance between lack of the virtue, and excessiveness, or being puritanical. And orderliness is the balance between disorder and rigidity regarding the use of time, goods, and the placement of things.
Use of Time
Let’s start by looking at an orderly use of time. As the saying goes: “If you are early you are on time, if you are on time, you are late, and if you are late, you’re fired.” Although this is a work centred mantra, it can also help us evaluate how we live our lives. Are we constantly late for things? Making other people wait or being disrespectful of their time? It is especially hard to be on time when you first have young children, and you are not used to the disruptions they cause to plans. But the virtue of orderliness demands we learn to work around these disruptions and plan to be early so that we can at least make it there on time.
Being excessively early is also an improper use of time. We need to do the right thing at the right time, and having the family wait about for a long time before something starts is not respectful of their time either. Prioritizing and timeliness are essential to household management.
Use of Goods
Next we can look at the proper use of goods. We need to use tools, like screens, properly. These goods should serve us, not the other way around. Because it is not good if we become a slave to our possessions. A disordered use of goods would be using them improperly, in a way which does not benefit God, or family, or your work, or even society. On the other hand, it would be excessive to not allow goods to be used. Keeping the plastic on the couch is hardly welcoming to guests or family. Or never allowing a book to be read because you don’t want the spine cracked. Or not allowing markers to be used so they can’t run out of ink.
If you have objects in your home that you are not willing to use, here is the hard truth. You either need to decide on a healthy way use them, or let them go. Because the good dishes in the back cabinet are not serving God or your family by sitting in the back cabinet collecting dust all the days of its life.
Finally, organization is a part of orderliness. That is, the proper placement of goods. We need to show respect for the things in our home. Kicking coats to the side teaches our kids that that we don’t need to take care of our belongings. So no wonder they do not put their toys away or value what has been given to them! Everything needs a place to go, and to be put away in that place when use of the thing is done. Keep in mind that different people need different organizing solutions. Kids might not put things away in a closet, but a shelf with trays and bins, or hooks on the wall will work perfectly.
Now for the other side of this virtue. Excessive organization would be putting things away before they are finished being used. Like emptying a cup and putting it in the dishwasher before a person finishes drinking.
Coming Soon… in Home Management
So, back to Ekonomia, – what do we have to look forward to in this series? First we are going to work on simplifying. By simplifying our physical goods, as well as how we spend our time, we are going to make room for more. More peace. And more quality family time. More opportunities to live out our vocation. More time to build a home management system with me! (Ha!)
Along with simplifying we will work on building a firm foundation. Which I also talked about in my recent video on Daily Non-Negotiables for living a home life of rest in Christ.
Next we are going to master family meals. Which will probably sound really funny coming from a girl who only learned to cook in 2020. (And I wrote this in 2021). But there you go.
Then we will talk about faithful finances. And about a clear cleaning system after that. Finally we will end off with planning for the future. Tying together everything we have done and looking at how we can keep our home life centred on Christ and the Theotokos.
Home Management Homework
1. Download the Ekonomia Printable Packet
2. Pray the Home Consecration Prayer in the Printable Packet
The Byzantine Life
When I say let’s consecrate our homes to Christ and the Theotokos, how does that make you feel? Excited? Overwhelmed? Confused about how the disaster zone between your front and back door can be of any service to Christ? Whatever you are thinking, be sure to let me know in the comments below.
For the free printable set that goes along with this video series, click here!
Thank you for checking out this week’s article. If you haven’t already, you can read our article about Theophany and the Synaxis of the John the Baptist.
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