A House Becomes A Home

I have not always loved my home. Over the past 10 years I have moved six times for a variety of reasons. With so brief a time in each home, it's been difficult for me to develop any kind of attachment to a house. Oh, I have scrapbook pages filled with pictures of each place I've lived, but decorator paper and frilly sentiments do not a home make.

It wasn't until I began to study about God's plans for a Christian woman's life did I realize how deeply I needed to care for my home. "That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." (Titus 2:4-5) We are called by God to keep our home, not just take up residence there. Keeping means tending, caring for and making better. So often we see mundane, everyday tasks around the house as chores, not as an occasion for service and glorifying God.

My personal goal for my home is to make it a refuge for all who enter. No, I don't particularly enjoy cleaning and straightening the house, but I do love serving my Lord and my husband in the duties I have been called to. I may not look forward to cleaning the bathroom in the morning, but I delight in a clean, welcoming place for anyone who chooses to come in.

The Proverbs 31 woman is one of my inspirations for keeping my home. "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness." This victorious woman chose her service to God over anything else that would take away from her daily work. It is a struggle for me some days to stay on task and not be drawn away by the computer, the television or the many books on my shelves. But by her example, the Proverbs 31 woman reminds me that the bettering of my home comes before all else.

Anyone who walks into our home sees a glimpse of how our walk with God is right now. We should reflect the pride and gratefulness we have in the blessings God has given, not let them get run down, covered by dust or buried under a pile. It is only by His grace that we have a roof over our heads today, so it is out of a loving heart and a thankful response that we care for all He has provided.

It takes a woman of strength to put her heart and soul into her calling to keep the home. That strength and passion come from God Himself. The closer we walk with Him in our daily lives, the easier it is to willingly give of our time and effort.

So just for this week in my home:
Cleaning will be a joy because I'm working for the Lord.
I will find comfort in creating a safe haven for my loved ones.
There will be effort put into arranging things according to God's will.
Organizing my home and life will be not be a struggle but an opportunity.
Errands will be done with gladness in my heart.
My family will be put before all else, because Christ put us before everything.

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