I don’t know about you all but if there is anything I utterly despise, I wholeheartedly HATE conflict!! It makes me physically ill. Early in our marriage, my husband and I determined that we were going to do our best to keep peace in our home. We didn’t want to have a home constantly in turmoil, arguing or full of drama—we see enough of that outside our home in the world today! Inside, we wanted to cultivate an atmosphere of love, peace, comfort, and safety... Most importantly, we wanted a place that God would dwell...
It didn’t come easy... we had to constantly work for it- (still do!) but by the Grace of God, I can honestly say our home has become an oasis in this dry and barren land.
There is peace
There is joy
There is love
There is happiness
There is contentment
So, how can we prepare our homes to be peaceful (to the mind, body, and soul) and to be places for God to dwell??
Pray diligently for the Lord’s Spirit to rest in our homes. Pray together as a family and make prayer time an absolute, unchanging part of our daily lives.
Read His Word daily and do our best to apply His Precepts and His Principles to our everyday lives.
Be Faithful to church... God may want to speak to us there ... we have to be present to hear His message to us.
Think before we speak... Never react in anger. speak kindly one to another. Be patient and gentle. Love one another unconditionally. Forbear some things (forbear- just put up with some things — it’s not worth causing a fight over)
Listen to gospel music (not just anything that says ‘Christian’ on the label counts— always ask these questions in the area of music- is it worshipping God? 👍🏼 Does it draw attention to Him alone?👍🏼(or is the beat/tempo/music the main focus?? 👎🏼) or is the song’s focus on “me”? 👎🏼 Those few simple questions can drastically alter your music style into worship and in turn, set an atmosphere for HIS presence! ( we personally love the HOLINESS VOICES RADIO app. By simply having uplifting music playing in the background as we go about our day, it definitely elevates our mood and sets the atmosphere for the Lord to dwell.
Listen to good holiness preaching often — whether it be through the home church, meetings, Mixlr, online audio, cds, old tapes, etc... we must get that Word of God down in our hearts... Hide it in our hearts that we might not sin against Him !!
Remove anything from our home that draws us away from the Lord or is unlike Him and His ways! Hebrews 12:1 ... let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us... nothing on this world is more important than our relationship with the Lord!!
Be teachable and open minded— never be defensive if someone is correcting us or instructing us on how to climb higher spiritually!
Adhere to 1 Peter 2:1-3
([1] Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, [2] As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: [3] If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.)
We must watch our conversations! Be positive! Be an encourager! Don’t tear down each other or others outside the home with our words!! Don’t gossip. Don’t talk about people! Don’t allow strife, bitterness, and envy to dwell in our hearts!!
Plug from all the distractions — be present! spend time together as a family - Fill our home with good, wholesome, and uplifting things!
Keep a relatively tidy main living space at least (if entire house isn’t always possible) keeping the clutter and messes to a minimal also helps reduce stress and will cultivate a feeling of calmness and order.
Light a candle or maybe utilize some other form of fragrance to make your house smell like a home. I personally love lemon or citrus fragrance ( although my mother-in-law got me a gingerbread candle that I’m crazy about at the moment ) to make the house smell fresh and clean. Light, natural fragrances actually seem to improve the overall mood in our home so much that I’ve actually started burning a candle during our homeschooling as well.
Talk about Jesus- teach the kids about His laws and His mercies -There is no greater way to bring Jesus into our homes and daily lives than by actually talking about Him. (John 12:32- And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.)
Probably the best way to bring Christ into our homes is to try to be more like Him...When we try to be like Him – we are setting an example for our whole family. We all are going to make mistakes, but as we try to live like Him, He will help us when we make mistakes and “check” us to make it right...
and the list could go on and on... but by implementing just these few ideas, I guarantee you that you will see and feel a difference in your home! When we take the time to prepare our homes and our hearts as a holy sanctuary, it pleases God and His spirit will come and abide there -
-Tiphanie
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