Have you ever been to a really beautiful home that the owners/renters obviously spent time putting together? Have you ever walked into a home like that, only to be surprised at the negative atmosphere of the place inside? I'll bet we can all think of examples of people we know with beautiful homes, cars, and things that still come up lacking. We all know at least one person who works like crazy trying to accomplish something, when the only thing they achieve is a new prescription at the doctor's office.
I'll never forget my first early morning flight from Saint John to Montreal. My ultimate destination was somewhere in the States, but many of the men and women aboard actually worked in Montreal and took the early charter flight regularly. I was literally one of two people on board not in a suit, tie, or dress. Many of the people around me had files, briefcases, and electronic equipment. A man sitting near me talked almost the whole flight about the home improvements he and his wife were doing. One got the impression, though, that their home improvements were only going to make the house look nicer. The marriage was tense, the children didn't care, and the man didn't necessarily like going home. His overall tone was that he had made it in his company, and he was doing it "for them." The trouble was that they "wanted more."
While some of the wants of his family were likely materialistic or greedy, one can't help but wonder when we stumble across Psalm 127. It states that home builders waste their time if the Lord isn't the One building the home. Guards and alarms are pointless if the Lord isn't the Protector of the family. Anxiety is what drives people to work uselessly, while the Lord is the Provider of the home in the first place. Jesus put it this way in several Gospel accounts: Consider the lilies of the field. They neither toil nor spin, yet not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed as one of these. If the Lord cares so much about lilies that are here today and will be thrown into the fire tomorrow, how much more does He care about you people that He loves?
What does it take to make a house a home? The Lord's ever-present blessing. Pray through your home, giving it to the Lord as His holy ground. Test Him in this. (This kind of a test is okay because it actually declares God's rightful place in your home.) If anyone is with me, you should testify.
4 comments:
I am definately with you Mr Lynn. There is power in praying through your home and bringing it under Christ's Lordship (He is ruler over all things, afterall!)
I have to share this, before I even finished reading your first paragraph I had this strong sense that your and Natasha's home is going to be one of great peace, where people walk in and instantly feel the warmth and presence of God, where they feel free to be the true "them" because the love of God is there. Just thought I'd share that encouragement with you. You're letting the Lord build your house and He surely will bless you both for it.
I never saw the bacon-wrapped marshmellow coming!
That's an interesting topic and probably something that I should do ASAP! I've noticed since I've been home a lack fo patience, contentment, etc. Nothing has changed in my personal/devotional/spriritual life... but I wonder what has been left unbound from my less than sanctified days.
P.S. But you never saw the pickled herring coming your way!
Not that I'm claiming total perfection, but there is a lot of freedom that I experienced in Christ from oppression/habitual sins...
But you catch my drift.
Lor, I receive your blessing in Jesus's name, affirming it over our/the Lord's home. Have you ever noticed that His peace is somehow also His power? That's what we see in our home.
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