My youngest child is a one-year-old, and she amazes me with the details of her activities. Since she could walk, she wanted to hang up the hand towel after drying her hands, make sure the cat's food bowl was never empty, and give the dog a treat when we left the house. These are not things I intentionally taught her to do but things she has learned through observing her family on a regular basis. We learn what we see, and what we see at home becomes our "normal."
When Pastor Josh said, "Holy living starts at home," it struck a chord in me. As he mentioned, home is where our guard is let down. As long as no one else sees the chaos, we can hide our weaknesses from the world by downplaying or justifying them. We often walk out of church on Sunday as if God stays at the church—but that is not the case; God knows and sees everything!
Imagine that tonight, God is sitting in your kitchen right across the dinner table from you, watching how you interact with your family. What would He find? Would he find you acting in a way that honors the gifts He has given you? What would you do differently? Who might He suggest you need to do a better job of loving well?
When Pastor Josh said, "Holy living starts at home," it struck a chord in me. As he mentioned, home is where our guard is let down. As long as no one else sees the chaos, we can hide our weaknesses from the world by downplaying or justifying them. We often walk out of church on Sunday as if God stays at the church—but that is not the case; God knows and sees everything!
Imagine that tonight, God is sitting in your kitchen right across the dinner table from you, watching how you interact with your family. What would He find? Would he find you acting in a way that honors the gifts He has given you? What would you do differently? Who might He suggest you need to do a better job of loving well?
Prayer and gratitude should be as common at home as they are in church on Sunday mornings, yet they are often overlooked in our busy lives.
This is likely a humbling exercise for most of us. Busy lives have driven the stress level in my home through the roof more times than I can count. My children can fight like cats and dogs, and our dog and cats often get into the mix, too! I do my best to take those highly charged moments to the Lord, but I still occasionally lose my cool.
For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
– Proverbs 2:6
Turning to the Lord through prayer and conversation sustains me through the burdens, stress, and suffering that life brings. However, I have not normalized this behavior in my home; I have kept it private. It is not something my children see happening, like they see me hanging up a hand towel every time I wash my hands. If I keep this practice private, they will learn to model getting stressed out and yelling when life is chaotic. They won’t know how to ask God for mercy and strength to be better next time.
Prayer and gratitude should be as common at home as they are in church on Sunday mornings, yet they are often overlooked in our busy lives. But I now know that I want my children to turn to God as quickly as they turn to hang up that hand towel. This responsibility rests in my hands far more than I ever realized.
In what area is God patiently encouraging you to grow and live holy at home?
Prayer and gratitude should be as common at home as they are in church on Sunday mornings, yet they are often overlooked in our busy lives. But I now know that I want my children to turn to God as quickly as they turn to hang up that hand towel. This responsibility rests in my hands far more than I ever realized.
In what area is God patiently encouraging you to grow and live holy at home?
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