Home on the Rock

Home on the Rock
by Stephanie H.

Today I woke up at 5 am, had an hour long quiet time, woke up my family with a kiss and hot breakfast, packed their lunches, slipped a sweet note in my husband’s briefcase, kissed him goodbye, took children to school, came home, exercised, cleaned the house, did the laundry, went to the store, prepared dinner, showered, picked up my children from school, greeted my husband home from work with dinner on the table, UUUUHHHHHH….NOT!!!!!!

Sure this sounds wonderful, but we are human!

As much as I strive for a “picture perfect” home it just doesn’t happen.  Just like my house is different than every other house in our neighborhood.  There is no recipe or cookie cutter for a perfect Christian home.  Every home is unique and so is the family occupying it.  I can’t tell you what your home should look like or how you should manage your home, but God does care about what we do with our time, how we spend our days and how we manage our homes.  In Titus 2:5 it says:

NAS “to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonored.” (emphasis mine)

NKJ “to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.” (emphasis mine)

When I spend too much time away from our home visiting friends, shopping or doing playdates, things start to fall apart and that is when attitudes and respect for others in the home fall apart.  Laundry doesn’t get done, my hubby wakes up and doesn’t have any clean undershirts for work and that puts him running late and frustrated, making me defensive and edgy.

Days like this are going to happen and there is grace for that.  It is when we are living this way and not trying to spend more time working on the matters of the home that we have a misplaced priority.

Time spent on activities outside the home are not bad, working outside the home is not wrong…it is when you are putting these things above your priority of home that your home, and those in your home, will suffer.  When we have our priority of home in place we fill up those in our homes with love that will spill out on others they come in contact with.  If not, they may be looking for love in other places than our homes.  Do it unto the Lord.  It is the Lord who will honor and bless our efforts.

Oh Merciful Lord, I am so thankful that I can come and sit at your feet, bring you all my ugliness from yesterday and ask for forgiveness.  I pray that today I look to you and listen closely so, I do not lose my temper again or sit idly while time passes me by.  Dear Lord, please help me to be a good steward of the time you have blessed me with and help me prioritize my day.  Help me to focus on what is most important to you.  Show me how I can be your hands and feet today with my family, in my home and in my community. Amen

Challenge: Start tomorrow with a similar prayer.  Insert your own struggles and give God your day.  Write God at the top of your “to do list.”  Try to think of ways to bless your family throughout the day whether it is picking up dry cleaning, preparing a favorite dinner or just be available for them.