As Christians, our homes should be set apart to bring glory to God. We should seek to reflect Jesus in everything we do. It should to be evident to others that God abides with us .
In order to build a Godly home, the first thing we must realize is that we have to center our home around God- His will, His desires, His Word. He should be the main focus, instead of just a an afterthought, something we think about on Wednesdays and Sundays, or something we just add to our already busy schedule.
In truth, our homes should be places of worship... (Worship reaches far past just the church building.) Our homes should be a sanctuary for the Lord to dwell, rather than just a house where we eat, sleep, work, school, and play.
Here are some steps we can take to help us to build a Godly home in this corrupt world (and in the process, bless our own family as well!)
1. Give God First Place!
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”. -------Joshua 24:15
A lot of things compete for our attention and for "first place" on the throne of our hearts. In our society, we are often tempted to put God second place. Convenience, entertainment, prosperity, and self-worship have tried to usurp the lordship over our lives.
These things will try to get in the way of us being able to truly honor God. These "idols" will hinder us from receiving His blessings over our homes and families. They seek to destroy the peace and contentment that God desires for His people to experience in Him.
Do we enjoy browsing the internet, scrolling through social media, shopping, watching a YouTube video, etc., (or fill in the blank), more than we enjoy renewing our minds with the Word of God?
Or communing with our Creator?
Are we more willing to try quick fixes and parenting solutions offered by worldly psychologists than seeking out the gritty truths of the Word ourselves and putting in the hard effort of consistently discipling and training our children as the Bible instructs?
Are we too focused on achieving lofty financial success ? Do we feel as if we DESERVE “me time” for all our efforts? Do we seek out the temporal instead of the things that will last for eternity? If we want to truly live out Joshua 24:15, we must remove what vies for God's position of being first place
in our home. Whatever that make be....
2. Practice True Love
True, Biblical love is not that romantic, emotional, but conditional love we see portrayed by this world. True Biblicial love is "love in action". It is unconditional acceptance. It is the choice being made to love each day. It is an reflection of ultimate love ---which demonstrated by Jesus when He gave His all on the Cross for you and for me.
To show us how we can emulate the definition of biblical love in our homes, we should look at its' descriptive characteristics found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7:
Charity (or Love, in other words)
“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” ----1 Corinthians 13:4-7
When we apply this verse to how we treat our husband and our children, we will win their hearts. Our actions will speak Jesus to them. (Ever heard the saying, actions speak louder than words?)
If we will strive to please the Lord and prayerfully seek to practice charity, peace and true love will abide inside our homes as a result.
3. Highly Respect and Uplift the Bible
We are so quick to look to the internet and worldly philosophy for the answers when we’re experiencing difficulties in our families. But what does the Bible say? Instead of Googling it, perhaps praying about it should be our default action. It needs to be clear to our children that the Bible is the ultimate authority in our home. The world's philosophy changes. They have pushed God and His authority to the curb. They have embraced humanism and are bowing to the altar of self at an alarming rate. They pushed out authority and have welcomed chaos.
Real truth and moral absolutes are becoming endangered in our nation. We are being told as a society---If it makes you happy and feels right to you, then it's your choice to live your life as you please and it's everyone else's job to celebrate you!! (In direct contradiction to the Word of God, mind you!)
Because of this, we as believers, shouldn't base the solutions to our life's problems upon the shaky, unstable foundation of this world. They can't be trusted. They are not a worthy source of counsel. They have forsaken the Godly heritage, principles, and precepts that were left before them to follow after their own selfish lusts and desires.
But Child of God, we must never falter or follow after the multitude !! Our Bible is still our road map to make it through this life !
As we form the foundational principles for our family, all of our beliefs, ethics, and rules must come from the Bible. It is a stable ROCK! It doesn't move or shake. It is a sure foundation upon which to build.
All of the answers to how we should parent, how we should discipline, what our stance on cultural issues should be, and what our worldview of man should look like can be found with the pages of the Holy Writ! The Bible is still relevant in today's world! ( It's probably even more so ! )
Our children need to know that truth is still unchanging, secure, and pure. Our beliefs doesn’t come from media, popular opinion, or even passed down family traditions, but solely from the Word of God.
By referring our children to the Bible in everything we do, esteeming it and applying it, we show them that the Bible is more than enough to answer all their deepest questions of life.
This especially includes upholding God’s design for marriage and gender as he created it in Genesis. We cannot compromise His truth. It is our job to preserve it for the next generation --- So that our children can inherit Godly principles and foundations that will govern their lives as adults!
4. Commit to a Biblical Worldview
Psalm 139:17 says, “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!” Having a biblical worldview (how we look at the world around us) involves thinking the way God thinks.
If we continually fill our minds and our children’s minds with media and such that teaches an anti-biblical worldview, by default, we will eventually be conformed to this world and think likewise. What we put in to our minds tends to change our option on things. We must be vigilant to guard our minds and our thoughts to preserve the purity of God's truths. If God said it, It is so. It doesn't matter what any of the experts says or what the big media companies say, God reigns over them all.
In order to please God, walk upright before Him, and build a Godly home for His Glory, we should always be careful to align ourselves with only those things that align themselves with God...
We are the gatekeepers of our homes and have authority from God to deny entrance into that space.
Every song, website, device, game, book, app, YouTube video (or even friends) that enters our home must go through us as parents first. What are we allowing in? We too have a responsibility to protect our children from the enemy’s plan to gain access to their hearts and minds.
We must strive to fill their minds with education, instruction, books, apps, and music that cause them look to "things above." That is one of the main reasons my husband and I chose to homeschool-- so our children can receive an education with a Biblical Worldview. It is so very important even in education that God be the focal point from which all things spring forth. Science is based on God. (Did you know the Bible is actually full of scientific data?) History and government are viewed through the lens of God's foundational truths. God instituted authority and government in the first place. He has a way in which it functions best. And on and on...
But what I'm really getting at is, it's our jobs as parents to find things to help train our children and teach them in the ways of God.
If you search out your options, there are still a lot of really good resources that will allow your kids to enjoy quality, entertaining, and educational programs and resources from a biblical perspective.
There are also plenty of safe guards and filters to ensure safety and accountability for older kids on their devices. It is up to us as parents to take the time to diligently search out these options and find out what works best to align our family with the truth of God's Word.
A lazy parent is a negligent parent. One who doesnt put up a hedge and safeguard their precious children will ultimately lose them to the enemy (or at very least, cause the children to fight battles that God never intended for them to have to fight! )
5. Teach Your Kids The Word of God
“and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” -----Deuteronomy 6:7
We can teach our children the Word of God directly, through a daily routine of Bible reading and instruction, but also, throughout every day moments of life.
Throughout the day, we should actively be looking for opportunities to instill the Word of God and His truth into our children.
We should intentionally talk about what the Bible says or what pleases God during dinners, car rides or walks, as we play with our kids, as we school them, when we put them to bed, and when they get ready in the morning. There are countless opportunities to teach Godly principles to our children, using the Word as our example, if we are willing to take the time to look for these times.
Look for everyday opportunities that you can turn into Biblical object lessons or occasions to infuse the Word of God into their young, impressionable minds.
Believe me, mamas, if we don't take the time to use our position to influence our kids for the good, the enemy will have someone who will influence them for evil. It's happening everyday across America. Teachers, counselors, school board members, daycare workers, peers, etc have more influence over our kids than we do. It's high time that parents wake up and endeavor to become the primary influence in the hearts and minds of our kids again. The next generation is depending on us!!
6. Fill Your Home with Praise and Worship
There is something about the power of music.
(I wrote a series of posts on the subject of music...if you are interested in reading more on this topic) https://tiphaniesizemore.wixsite.com/mysite/post/music-so-what-s-the-big-deal-about-music-part-1
When that music is full of Biblical concepts and on the truth of God’s Word, it is even more powerful! It reminds us of who we are in relation to who God is. Right music sets our focus on the good things and uplifts our spirit. As an added benefit, music also can be a valuable tool to help us commit God's truth to memory.
My daughter is currently learning to play the piano by ear. It has been so rewarding to hear the songs of Zion being played and sang in our home. Many times, the rest of us have joined her in singing. Her playing the piano has allowed for even more spontaneous worship in our home.
As I have mentioned countless times, I also highly recommend Holiness Voices Radio App (found on iOS and android). I like to have it playing continually on a Bluetooth speaker on low volume to help create an atmosphere of peace and worship in our home.
7. Decorate your home with "reminders" of God’s Promises or with Scripture
One of the most repeated directives in the Bible is "to remember". Remember what God has done. Remember who He is. Remember that He is with you. But we as humans are so quick to forget.
One way to fight against our forgetful minds is to have Scripture on display in our everyday lives.
In Deuteronomy chapter 9, the Israelites were instructed to write God’s commands on the doorposts of their homes. Today, this can be easily done by decorating our homes with scriptures or phrases that speak of His love, truth, grace, and faithfulness. These pieces of decor serve as powerful reminders of who God is and what He has done for us!
Our children will be surrounded by mementos of God's goodness and will grow up with God being the focal point in the home.
8. Pray the Word over your Family
There is a very real battle for our marriages, our homes, our churches and for our children. The Devil would love nothing less than to destroy our family and steal the hearts and minds of our children. It is our job to engage in spiritual warfare and to push back against the enemy...
Prayer is our greatest weapon against the enemy’s strongholds.
When we pray the Word for our marriages, our husbands, and our children, we are praying God’s very own promises over them! We are fighting in the spiritual battle, using the power of the Word as our weapon. We should pray that our children would love the Lord with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. We should pray that they would be convicted of their sins and would allow genuine repentance to do its work--that they would trust in the Savior who has all power to save them from the consequences of their sins and redeem them to Himself because of the price He paid with His own blood! We should pray that they develop a personal walk with the Lord at a very young age. (It is so much easier if they know Him for themselves long before the harder teenage years hit! )
We should pray that they will stand firm (with conviction!) on God’s truth in a culture that is distorting absolutes and truth. As parents, we should also pray for our kids’ protection in this crazy world we live in. The enemy would love to destroy and defile one of our little ones. It is up to us as mamas to push back the powers of darkness through prayer! Our God is greater than all the forces of the enemy! He can protect our children and keep them in safety.
We should pray for spiritual growth in our homes both as individuals and as a family unit. We should pray that God will allow His Word to take root in the hearts of our children, our husband, and our self--that we would become more and more like Him each day.
Which leads me to the next one....
9. Serve with Joy & a Happy Heart
We should serve our husbands and children in our homes with a joyful heart, not out of duty or with a bad attitude. Proverbs 14:1 says, “The wise woman buildeth her house, but the foolish plucketh it down with her own hands.”
Hospitality should just be another manifestation of the service you’re already demonstrating within the walls of your home.
We also need to practice hospitality, thoughtfulness, and kindness to those around us. It would be such a blessing to have an "open door" policy in our homes. God made man to desire fellowship not only with Himself, but also with his fellow companions. Fellowship is one of God's institutions. He wanted us to build relationships with those around us so that we all could serve Him together in unity. Because of this fact, we should strive to welcome others into our homes with joy.
When we act like our friends, family, and neighbors are an inconvenience or interruption, we are telling our kids that hospitality doesn't matter and that SELF is more important than serving and welcoming others...
For the most part, the majority of us understand that and do a half way okay job at being hospitable (or at least cordial) to others outside our home who come by to visit. Most of us do want to bless all those who come into our home and to show them the love of Jesus through our hospitality.
But I want to look at one other thing while we are on the topic--
What good is it, if you are indeed welcoming to those on the outside of the home, yet, as soon as your company leaves, you go back to being grouchy and snippy with your own family? It's a parallel thing. We must do both, and do it well.
In order to have a Godly home, we must serve our family joyful and as happily as we do those without.
In fact, our greatest influence on any soul in this life more than likely will be those of our own house.
Don't have a bad attitude with your husband. Don't stay frustrated and aggravated with the kids. Pray and ask God to give you patience and joy to be a blessing in your own home.
The greatest work you will ever do is within the walls of your own home.
Let's allow the Lord to strengthen our hand and help us in our homemaking endeavors. Godly homes are so needed in this last hour! Let's strive to "build up" our homes and our marriages in Christ. God is more than able to use us, if we will be willing vessels, to stand in the gap and make up a hedge! Protect your family. Guard your marriage! Pray like you have never prayed before! We can make a difference if we will get under a burden to become more Christlike in every area in our lives!
From my heart to yours,
Tiphanie 💕
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