By: Jenifer Metzger
As the woman of our home, we strive to create a space our family feels safe and loved. But what about creating a God centered home? A place where our family feels the presence of God. A place they know they can talk about God, ask questions about Him, and learn about Him. A place they will always remember as a home God was a part of.
But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose
for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods
your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the
Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my
household, we will serve the Lord.
Joshua 24:15
Here are 4 ways to create a God centered home.
Pray. Of course we know that we need to be praying women. Yes, our husband should be a praying man. But to have a truly God centered home, we need to be praying as a family. When I was a child, before we left for school each morning my mom would gather us kids in a circle and we would pray. I carried this tradition on with my kids, then once we began homeschooling we prayed before our school work each day. We need to pray for meals and at bedtime. When someone in the family is struggling or sick, we need to pray. And in those moments we need prayer, we need to ask our husband and children to pray for us. Make prayer a regular and intentional occurrence in your home.
Bible reading. Again, we know that we need to be women of the Word and that our husband should be a man of the Word. But we need to make the Bible a part of our home. Make sure each person has their own Bible. If your children are young, read to them and discuss what you've read. If they are older, encourage them to read the Bible and discuss what they read as well as share what you are reading. Discuss with your spouse what you are each reading. Make sure that your children know if you are reading the Bible you shouldn't be interrupted unless it is an emergency, this will reiterate the importance.
Attend church regularly and talk about it. Church attendance is also important. Be sure to attend regularly. I even encourage you to attend your Sunday service as well as a mid-week service. Make church attendance a priority, being careful to not miss unless there is illness. On the way home, give everyone a chance to talk about what they learned from church. For little kids this is a great way for them to repeat what they learned to really get it into their head and heart. For teens and adults this is a great way to open communication.
Be careful what you allow in your home. Remember that God cannot exist where there is evil; darkness and light cannot co-exist. If you want a God centered home, you must keep evil away. Be careful what you allow on tv, computers, tablets, books, phones, magazines, etc. If it displeases God or goes against His Word, it shouldn't be in your home. You might need to make a limit to what ratings of tv and movies you allow to be watched or use things like Covenant Eyes to monitor computer, tablet, and phones. We also know that we need to watch our words so be careful to not allow foul language, bullying, or self-negativity in your home.
These are 4 ways you can create a God centered home. Whether you are single living alone, married just the two of you, have little ones, have teens, or are an empty nester, creating a home with God at the center is life changing and God honoring. Let's strive to be women who intentionally create God centered homes.
It's time for Share A Link Wednesday! Each Wednesday we invite you to leave a link to your latest blog post in the comments. We still desire to connect women of God with one another and encourage each other in Christ. So grab a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea, sit back and visit a few blogs. Be encouraged and share your own stories.
Good advice. One idea I would add is talking about God in everyday life, pointing out His hand in creation, in intervening in our lives (e.g., "coincidences" are really evidence of His working), etc. This is something I wish I had done more with my own, to emphasize that Christianity isn't just the stuff we do, but it's a real, living relationship with the One who loves us most.
ReplyDeleteI wrote this week about the privilege we have to draw near to God. It was inspired by our church's study of Leviticus and all the sacrifices and rituals people had to go through then. Jesus made a way for us to go directly to God: https://barbaraleeharper.com/2021/04/04/the-incredible-privilege-of-drawing-near-to-god/.
Amen! Although I am a widow now, I am around families with young children quite a bit. I want these children to know the Lord, to live Jesus in their homes. I am grateful for what I so often see in some of these homes. And I am saddened by the homes where the Bible is never touched, prayer is not a part of the home. The parents quarrel and the children get caught in the middle. I pray. I love and I pray that the light of Jesus shines through me to these families.
ReplyDelete@ Being Woven - https://beingwoven.org/2021/04/04/the-cross-the-resurrection-and-me/