The Treasures of Home

You can listen to this post on Refresh Her podcast.

If you learned that the previous owners of your house had buried a valuable treasure in the backyard, would you dig until you found it? No doubt, we all would!  

Some years ago we had guests visiting with us, and before they left, the wife said something like, “I love your living room. It’s so cozy and inviting. This is what I want my home to be.” 

Her words surprised me. At that time, we lived in a small 3-bedroom ranch style home.  Nothing fancy.  Tiny rooms, no special features or architectural design!  

My husband looked at her and said,

“This is our refuge from the world. God wants to be your refuge so you can have the same kind of home.”

You see, it’s not the things in a house that makes it inviting – it’s the love and the atmosphere you feel when you step inside. But where does that come from?

Proverbs 21:20 says it this way – There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spends it up. (Proverbs 21:20) The truth of that passage reminds us that God gives whatever we have in terms of material things.  But we can also make the application that we are either digging up the treasure God wants our homes to have, or we are spending it up.

How do we dig up the treasure in our home?

1. We get up every day and give ourselves, our family, and our home to the Lord.
   Ps. 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it;
   We are foolish to think we can build a godly home with our own knowledge…we need God’s wisdom…We learn how in the next point…
2. We get into the Word so we can get a right perspective on the ministry in our home. His Word will make us wise about how to build our home.  Prov 24: 3,4 By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; And by knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.
   
   We must dig into God’s Word and then allow the Spirit of God to teach us how He wants to fill each room with precious and pleasant (godly) riches!
3. We seek to respond biblically to the trials that will surely come into our homes. James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
   
   Did you know that every home has trouble? It is true!  How will we endure the conflict, the disagreements in marriage, or the disobedience or rebellion from our children?  Will screaming and yelling help dig up the treasure of a happy home?  No.  But when we turn to God’s wisdom and handle the struggles by praying about the issues between us and our spouse, and then talking through it with them, or sitting and training our children from God’s Word in how to obey and the consequences of disobedience, we can endure the trials.
4. We are faithful workers in our home; planning ahead for our family’s needs with good meals, fresh laundry and a clean house. Prov 31:27 She looks well to the ways of her household, and eats not the bread of idleness. It’s not “everyone for their selves!”  We help meet needs. We train our children to know how to plan ahead and be prepared, to give a hand with the cares of the home and train them to know how to work alongside us so they can be prepared to run a home on their own some day.
5. We seek to meet our husband’s needs and care for them. We put him first – before the children and before ourselves. (Listen to the podcast for a simple illustration of this.)
6. We love and submit to our husband as the head of the home, never seeking to override his authority. Eph 5:21, 22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. This simply means to lean his direction. Be his helper. Come alongside to serve him.
   Verse 23 – For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
   Anything with no head is dead and anything with two heads is a monster!
7. We faithfully and lovingly instruct our children in God’s ways, always leading them to Christ. Deut. 6:6,7 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
   Don’t teach your child to obey you because you said so! Remind them that God said so! Eph 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord…

There is so much treasure ready to be dug up in each of our homes! When we do all of the points suggested above, our home will be a godly, warm, inviting place for our family and all who enter its doors.

We all do have a treasure in our home, ready to be unearthed! Ask God for help in digging it up!

What questions come to your mind after reading this post? Feel free to leave them in the comments or email me and I’ll be happy to find an answer in God’s Word.