Have you ever stopped to consider that your home matters to God? Homes were His idea in the first place!
If you don’t invite people to you home, they won’t know your belongings — or your state of cleanliness. And maybe, just maybe, if you don’t care about what your home looks or feels like, it doesn’t really matter.
But what if your home did matter?
What if, even if no other person walked through your door, the Lord knew what happened inside your walls?
What if your home matters to God?
The Creator of Homes
Have you ever stopped to consider that homes matter to God because they were His idea in the first place?
He created homes.
If you go all the way back to Creation, God created man — and then he planted a garden for the man (Genesis 2:8). As man worked the garden, the garden provided food. And after the garden was there, the Lord God created Eve in that garden. Together, Adam and Eve lived in that garden: the very first family living in the very first home.
While it was outdoor living, that garden was the man and woman’s home. They weren’t left on their own out in the wilderness. They had a very specific place just for the two of them. And it was very good.
Forever Homes
Just as homes were created in the beginning, they’ll be a part of eternity, too. As Jesus promised in John 14:2-3, “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
And what will be the best part of these eternal homes? Sharing them with the Lord. As 2 Corinthians 5:1 shares, “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”
Being at home with the Lord means dwelling with Him forever.As described in Revelation 21:3, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’ “
The Blessing of Homes
If you look for descriptions of homes throughout scripture, you’ll find plenty of examples of how people historically used their homes:
- Your home can be used to welcome and care for guests — think of the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4 or Martha in Luke 10.
- You can look well to the ways of your household, like the Proverbs 31 woman. (Also look into 1 Timothy 5:14.)
- If you’re wise, you can and will build your house instead of tearing it down (Proverbs 14:1).
- Your house can be used to worship the Lord; the early church met in homes instead of church buildings (Acts 5:42, Romans 16:5).
Interestingly enough, all of those examples are timeless. Now, as always, we can build our homes and look well to the ways of our home.
We can welcome and care for guests and use the space to worship the Lord — both alone and with others. Depending on your intent and choices, your home can be used to bless yourself and others.
What IS a Home?
If homes — dwelling places — were God’s idea in the beginning, they must be significant to Him. And to us. But why?
If you explore the definition of home, it’s a residence or dwelling place. Home is a familiar or usual setting and congenial environment. In other words, it’s a warm, friendly place that makes you feel happy and comfortable.
If you feel “at home,” you’re relaxed, comfortable, and at ease. You’re in harmony with your surroundings and on familiar ground.
Comfort and familiarity are good traits. It’s important to find a place to relax. Think about the alternative: if you’re not at home, you know it. You feel on edge and tense as you listen for every strange noise. You’re not sure what to anticipate or expect.
But if you’re home? You can breathe a sigh of relief. Relax. This is your place.
All of that comfort and peace that comes with the haven that’s your home? It was part of God’s plan. God knew we’d flourish in a familiar environment. It’s better to feel safe and comfortable than on high alert.
Because Homes Matter to God …
Since God created homes as warm, welcoming places where we can rest and relax, wouldn’t it be wise to take His idea and run with it?
Instead of focusing on all the work that needs to be done in our homes, what if you’d start to think of the work we get to do to transform four walls into a welcoming, comforting haven?
Rather than using our homes as a dumping ground, where clutter accumulates and furnishings aren’t considered, what if we’d carefully and thoughtfully create spaces that nurture us and the other people in our home? With just a little bit of careful consideration, we could turn boring rooms into restful, refreshing havens that reflect our interests and personal tastes.
As an alternative to feeling unsatisfied or discontent with where we’re living, what if we’d thank the Lord for the locations He’s placed us right now? Once we do that, we can then think of ways to make the best of our unique situations. What are some of your home’s best features? What do you like the most? When it comes to your home, what are you most thankful for? With a little creativity, how can you accentuate the positive?
Because the idea of homes is part of God’s creation, don’t hesitate to talk with Him about your home. Thank Him for His amazing blessings. Vent your concerns and complaints to Him. Ask Him for guidance and help and inspiration. Involve Him in the aspects of your home, whether they seem big or small.
3 Ways to Celebrate the Importance of Your Home
As we consider the gift that God gave us with His creation of homes, we can respond by celebrating. How can we celebrate homes and their importance in our lives? Here are three possibilities:
Use your home.
Forget about going out all the time and meeting your friends and family at restaurants, or even to escape everyday life. What if you’d start to gravitate to your home more often?
The recent pandemic has effectively changed a lot of familiar behaviors of people. More people are either required to stay home — or they’re staying home by choice.
While it’s a change for many, it’s still a good thing. It’s good to gather at home for a meal or to entertain yourself with a game or movie night.
When you use your home, not only will you create ties and connections to your own unique place, but you’ll also begin to appreciate the space more.
Take care of your home.
You can demonstrate how much you value and appreciate your home by the way you care for it.
Kick clutter to the curb for a more peaceful haven. While you don’t have to focus on keeping things spotless, you can still take the time to keep up with cleaning. When something breaks, make sure it gets fixed.
Caring for your home is a practical and purposeful way to be a good steward of the gift God has entrusted to you. Because, whether you regularly stop to think about it or not, living in a home is a gift. It’s not a right, and it’s not guaranteed.
Let your surroundings become a reflection of you.
You live in your home, right? You might be renting your home. Your mortgage might be completely paid off. Or you may be in the middle of appreciating someone else’s generosity by camping out in a guest room for just a little while.
Whatever your situation, chances are you have a space to call your own. (Unless you’re staying with someone and sleeping on their couch each night. After doing that for an entire summer, I know first-hand that sometimes the only thing you might have in certain situations is a suitcase.)
No matter what space you’re living in, you can personalize it with your own sense of style. God’s given you likes and dislikes for a reason. Why not celebrate what makes you unique? Why not embrace exactly what you appreciate?
Take the time to realize what you like and don’t like, then try to decorate and arrange your home accordingly. Don’t be afraid to use your favorite things. (In fact, make sure you do!) Fill your space with colors and items that are a reflection of you and your unique taste … and have some fun doing it!
Home Sweet Home
As you start to realize and remember that your home matters — not just to you, but also to God — you’ll have a different outlook on everything from the chores you get to do to the way you feel comfortable curling up and relaxing in just the right spot. You’ll start to notice a lot of wonderful things about your home sweet home!
Do you struggle with the reality that your home matters to God? Or does it fill you with joy and peace? Please explain!
Images courtesy of Unsplash and Pexels.
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