Have you ever walked through someone’s door and instantly felt that welcoming, homey feeling? I have and let me tell you I long for my home to be that way as well. I want people to feel they are at home away from their home. I don’t ever want my home to be a place of discomfort or make someone feel they have to walk on eggshells while visiting-NEVER!
It’s not really just my home I long for someone to be comfortable, it’s in my presence as well. I want my person, who I am, to be a safe place. I want someone to leave feeling that they mattered to me, they felt loved and that they saw Jesus in me.
If I am to have a heart and home that is a haven for people, I’ve got to have a heart after God like David had. I’ve got to allow His Spirit to have Liberty in my heart and home.
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
His Spirit has to be allowed to change me into the image of Christ. If I am yielded to Him, my home will be as well.
My heart and home will be a place of calm and peace. Where the Spirit of the Lord abides there will be peace. His Spirit is NOT that of chaos, fighting and bickering. He brings order and harmony with the members of the family and the way the home is run. If my attitude stinks, it effects my home. I have to daily (and sometimes momentarily) check up on my spirit. Am I being selfish? Bossy? Bitter? You get the point, I’ve got to allow the Spirit of the Lord to bring order to me and my home. Oh what a peaceful environment my guests will have in my home and in my presence.
My heart and home has to be a place of love. God is love. That means everything about Him and everything He does is because of love. His Spirit is loving. If I want my heart and home to be a comfortable haven for others, I have to let His love to be the basis of everything I do and say. If I have a negative word always to tell, or if I think I don’t sin like so and so. If I think I have better standards and others just don’t walk with God like I do. Then I am not having a heart and home that is being changed from glory to glory into the beautiful image of His love. I am being self-righteous. My love is all about me and not about Him. Others need to see that I’m just a sinner that’s saved by grace and His love is changing me daily. When others see Him, they see love and that’s what I want them to see in me.
My heart and home has to be a place of rejoicing. The joy of the Lord is my strength. It’s what sustains me when trials come. It’s what flows from my heart. I want others to leave my home, happy. Their spirit has been refreshed by the song I’m singing. If I’m always moping about, crying woe is me….I’m not allowing the Spirit of the Lord to put a new song in my mouth. Trials come no doubt but how I respond to them is what matters. When someone sees I have a heart and song of praise, they leave with it as well.
My calm, peace, love and rejoicing are a perfect recipe for a heart and home that is welcoming to a weary soul. No one likes leaving feeling worse than when they arrived. May my every word, work, and way be based in Him.
Do you see Jesus in my home? Do you see Jesus in me?
Daily I pray I allow His Spirit to have Liberty to change me more and more into His beautiful, loving Image.
