My family and I were recently invited to a new home of some friends of ours as it was being built. The frames of the walls were up, and you could tell where each room was going to be, but there was no insulation or walls. The purpose of having us over was to write scripture on the foundation of the house and pray over the home before the studs were covered up and it moved into the next phase of the build.
We were asked to write on the frames of the walls, the floors, the window frames and everywhere else in between. As worship music was being played, I found myself walking around the house and taking in the fact that this family was being covered in God’s word. Each room was being filled with encouragements, promises from God, and prophetic words from the Bible. It was truly an amazing thing to be a part of. My favorite part was that my kids and other families were there too. All different people were walking around and praising and praying to the Lord. Our families were coming together and declaring out loud and with ink that God was going to be the foundation of this house and this family.
This home was being dedicated and prayed over to eventually open their home and invite people over and share the love of Jesus with others. This family wants their home to be a light in the darkness. It is not just the beautiful decorations that make a home, home. It is more than that. As we were driving away, one of our kids said, “We should do that in our house. That was fun.” We explained to him that it wouldn’t be an easy task to rip out all the drywall in our house in order to write on the frame. This conversation got my mind swirling nonetheless. We don’t all get the opportunity to build brand new homes, but we all have the opportunity to fill our homes with God’s word daily and on repeat. We all get to make choices that either invite God into our lives or leave Him out of our lives. Let’s talk about this. It is not easy, but it is absolutely possible!
How do we have a kingdom-focused home in a “me-focused” world? It is so easy to get caught up in the demands of our culture and wrapped up in only looking at our own schedules. We do not achieve this by accident. We must be diligent in fighting against the strong current to not raise selfish kids. We must be resolute in our daily decisions when we put things on the calendar. Your “yes” to some things means you are saying “no” to other things. We have to be careful about the way we talk in our home. Our conversations have to be intentional. This also requires us to do the hard work to not be selfish adults. Newsflash, your kids are watching you. If you are wrapped up in your own life and your head is stuck in who you follow on social media, you are teaching your kids what is important without saying a word. There are so many ways to make sure you are building a home for your kids that not only prepares them for the future, but more importantly, eternity.
Let’s get really practical! Are you ok with that?
1. Fight to make your home a safe space.
Our world is crazy enough all on its own. If you aren’t careful, your home will become just as crazy. Create boundaries. Don’t be afraid to say no to worldly chaos in your home. Let your kids know that when they are home, they are safe. Be the parent. Kids don’t feel as safe when they have to make the rules. They respond really well to structure and stability. You are responsible for providing this for your kids. I can tell a huge difference in my kids when they are in the safety of our house. They know what to expect. Of course they try to defy some rules – they are humans. At the end of the day, however, they know what to expect. Some easy ideas for this are to play worship music, have family devotions, and don’t let the news of doom and gloom play in the background all the time. 😉
Isaiah 32:18
“My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”
2. Monitor screen time.
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know the dangers of too much time on technology. We focus a lot of this on kids, but parents, it’s not good for us to be addicted to it either. It can sometimes be the “easy” button when you are tired and just want the kids to be quiet. You would be surprised how much creativity your kids will get back when they are limited on screens. The laughter increases. Bring back face-to-face conversations. To help with this, we don’t allow devices at our dinner table. We have such a good time around the table. We miss out on so many good conversations when we all find our faces stuck in a screen. It is very isolating, and you don’t want your home to be a place of isolation. Play board games. Get outside. There are countless studies on the benefits of getting outside and exploring nature. Take a family bike ride or walk. There are so many options.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.“
3. Institute chores and let kids help with projects.
Our family is a team. We teach them from an early age that they are a huge part of who we are and we need them to survive. We rotate chores, and they all have daily and weekly responsibilities. If we are working on a project, we let them help! A lot of times parents (I am including myself in this) want things to be done perfectly so they don’t allow the kids to help because it slows them down and it might get done a little messier or just differently than we see it going. When they know they are needed and wanted to be around, they take pride in helping. They are learning excellence in all things. Not being lazy. More importantly, we can teach them that everything we put our hands to can be as if we are doing it for God.
I Corinthians 10:31
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
4. Make Your Home a Place of Gratitude.
I will try to not be overly dramatic about this one, but in a nutshell, when I made gratitude a part of my life and weaved it into the fabric of our home, it changed my life! (And my family’s life too.) Our world has a way of never being content. Always searching for more. Can’t get enough. We must put a stop to this. I know I have said it already, but we are in charge of our homes, and we get to choose what is important! I often ask my kids on the way to school to give me one thing they are thankful for. Sometimes they are annoyed and just say, “food,” but once we get started they can’t stop listing all of the things they are grateful for, and it has now started their day off thinking about what they already have instead of what they wish they had.
Psalm 105:1
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!“
This is just a small list of things that you can do to shift the focus of your home more towards Jesus and His ways. What spoke to you the most? Where do you need to make changes? Start small and make changes that you can keep. Involve your spouse and add things that are important to you. Include your kids. They will love being a part of this exercise!
Philippians 3:20 “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Written by: Taran Nelson. Taran is the Executive Director of Fathom Family Foundation. She, her husband, and their three children live and minister in Jacksonville, FL.
