Christ in Our Homes

These past few weeks have been so full! Can anyone relate? Work has been crazy; Jerry has been traveling; school is back in session, and on and on it goes. Just when I think I can’t do one more thing, ten more end up on my plate. That is how I was feeling about the Meditation for Preparation this week. I told Jerry I am dried up; I have nothing to write. To which he responded, “Didn’t you write an entire study?” Oh yeah, I did! So I started out by thinking I would tweak a piece of the Colossians study I wrote for our ladies in order to get our minds thinking about this passage. 

But then it hit me: this is exactly what this passage is about. Sure we can pick to death what “submit” means, or we could list all the ways husbands are harsh, or talk about how they should be loving their wives. And,oh heavens, we could definitely discuss the obedience of children that sometimes feels as elusive as that pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. However, at the heart, aren’t these passages actually about family life–the day to day ways we live out our Christian walk in the one place where we truly can’t disguise whether we are living for Jesus or not?

Let’s be honest, those under our roof see us for who we really are. We can fake it in front of others for a little time here and there but not every single day with the same group of people. They will see the real you no matter how hard you try to hide it.

The last time I wrote, I spoke about Paul’s argument building. I believe there is a reason Paul puts these sorts of instructions toward the end. If we are not solid in what we believe, then we cannot live it out! And if we manage to squeak by somehow, we will only walk away looking at what a good job we did and give ourselves a huge pat on the back but offer no glory to Christ.

Right now I’m sitting in my room typing this on my phone because I know if I walk out the door, someone is going to need something. As soon as they do, I have several choices. One, I can tell them that because I have been at work all day I’m tired, and I don’t care about the school drama or their school project. (Enter here the award for the rudest, self-centered mama, so maybe I will avoid that choice.)

Two, I could slap on a fake smile and make random noises that make it sound like I’m listening while, in reality, I’m totally disengaged. I might be telling them what I really think in my head, but not saying it out loud, so that’s winning, right?! Or maybe I’m thinking about how I need them to finish up because I’ve got more important things to do. I keep that to myself too, so I’m still winning, right? No! My heart is still very icky.

Three, I can admit to Jesus how un-Christlike I am here in this very moment. I can ask Him to be my strength and help me love the way He loves, to listen the way He listens, to truly see my family rather than look past them, and to understand the value of the home He has built. Then I will be able to engage with my family in a way that honors the Lord and shows that I understand He wants to be Lord of all the moments of my life.

You see, we must be engaged in all the things Paul has talked about in order to live a life that will bring glory to God. We must be rooted and built up, having knowledge and wisdom. We must understand that we have been made alive in Christ, so our focus is to be above. We are to habitually recall to our minds and hearts that everything we see is His, and He is the reason that all things exist. We were bought by Christ’s blood to be God’s children, so that we can live lives worthy of the gospel. What better place for that to start than in our homes?