SIGNS OF A SPIRITUAL HOME
What makes a spiritual home? What do you think? Try this True or False Quiz. A spiritual home is one in which … ?
At least three pictures of Jesus hang on the wall. A pulpit is displayed in the living room. A large, black King James Bible lies open on the living room table to John 3:16. You can most often hear the children say this phrase, “Yes, Mother, I’d be happy to.” The TV only receives the Christian channel.
In addition, every family member is up and dressed, fed, and sitting in the living room a half-hour before Sunday School starts. The only time anyone raises their voice is to say, “Praise the Lord!” An exciting evening home is one in which every family member gathers to recite memory verses. The children sit still during the blessing at meal time and on occasion say, “Dad, will you pray a little longer before we eat?” Finally, everyone believes messiness is a sin. Therefore, no one leaves a bed unmade or tosses dirty clothes in the closet. And you could never find petrified spaghetti oodles or broken, half-eaten candy canes between the couch cushions.
True Spiritual Home Signs
In a Christian spiritual home, every family member is encouraged to a commitment to Jesus Christ. There can be a lot of love and acceptance otherwise, but also teaching and sharing of faith. Every family member is nudged to seek their own walk with God.
Second, the Bible is the ultimate authority. This doesn’t mean everyone at all times obeys the Scripture. Parents, as well as children, fail. But the rule is, if it’s biblical it’s right. If it’s unbiblical, we won’t do it.
Third, a spiritual mindset has been established. Is life to the fullest looked forward to in your home? And is there times of peace and quiet, an understanding of each other, and a sense of home as rest, at ease? Words freely expressed can be signs of a spiritual mindset.
Understanding Spiritual Matters
Fourth, a spiritual home exhibits a growing understanding of important spiritual matters. No matter where each of the members begin in understanding of spiritual truth, that process should grow. You understand more now than you did then. And so does your family.
Fifth, they appraise a situation to uncover spiritual implications. Those in a spiritual home quickly see an argument, discussion, difference of opinion, conflict or stress, has some kind of spiritual cause beneath it. Something needs to be worked out, either between individuals or for the whole family, such as misunderstanding in relationships.
Sixth, there’s willingness to make spiritual sacrifices. In this home people give themselves, that is, give up something, so spiritual success can take place.
Restoration
Seventh, attention is given to restoring others to fellowship with God. In a spiritual individual and a spiritual home, the gentle work of restoration happens.
Eighth, an ability to see and accept a mutual need for spiritual assistance. You recognize what to receive and what to give each other. Your desire is to strengthen family members and also receive support from them.
Ninth, you give God recognition for success. There’s no hesitation, every member is quick to give God praise and glory for what He’s doing, in their lives and through others.
Tenth, there’s no satisfaction with mediocre spiritual living. Each one hopes and aims for every spiritual blessing.
But every family is unique and different. How do you custom design your own spiritual family?
Guidelines for Any Spiritual Family
~~ Accept the differences
The spiritual lives of each family member provides a strength, though they aren’t at the same level in practice and growth. Don’t expect them to display the same spiritual journey that you did.
Study characters through the Bible. Jot down the weaknesses of such people as Peter and Paul, John and Thomas, Mary Magdalene and Martha. See what a diverse group of people Jesus called as disciples. Then commit your family members, weaknesses and all, to God. You may desire they be at a more mature or spiritually deep with more use of leadership gifts. Thank God, instead, that every member of your family is at the right place for them for now.
~~ Make a list of the positive qualities of each family member.
These are God’s gifts to you. For instance, do you have a child who questions everything about the faith? Thank God for that gift. Make sure you really know what you believe and why you believe it.
Establish a Basic Environment
What could you do to allow spiritual lives around you to flourish? That looks different in every family. But what should change, be encouraged, or added?
First, consider spiritual warfare. Pray evil will not touch your home, your kids, your spouse. It’s a spiritual battle we’re in. Take out the influence the evil one brings in.
Second, de-uptight your home. The pressures may be great to perform, to be perfect, to get along, or to appease one another. Somehow inspire relaxation at your house.
Third, remove any stumbling blocks. Is anything getting in the way of others’ spiritual growth? Maybe it’s something you do. Perhaps it’s materialism portrayed by the objects around the house.
More Basic Options
Fourth, openly discuss spiritual success and discouragement. That is, be real. The kids need to know more than what’s been right, but also when you’ve failed, so they can relate. Share spiritual excitement. And accept when family members question what you’re doing or saying. If you don’t know how to reply, tell them you’ll find the information.
Fifth, live your priorities. Demonstrate the importance of spiritual growth to you by not just talk, but do something. Let them see you sacrifice in order to achieve spiritual goals.
Sixth, let your enjoyment of faith show. Ask God to help you be alert to what He’s doing all around you. We tend to miss so much with our busyness and blindness. Also, practice showing God’s style of response during times of testing. Model what Jesus demonstrated in tough times.
Express an unashamed rejoicing in God’s work in your life. Like at football games when a player runs into the end zone with a football and scores a touchdown. He exhibits great joy by either spiking the ball, dancing up and down, hugging other players, or all three. Even if you don’t understand football, you know something fun happened. Communicate what God is doing in your life with the same kind of joy. Maybe you need a little more dancing in the end zone of your spiritual life.
5 Strengths of a One-Person Family
Some of you might say, “I appreciate all that, but my family’s gone, and I live alone.” Everything still applies to single adults. In fact, you’re in a great position to spread spiritual blessing to other families.
- You especially can set the basic spiritual tone for your own home. No one else to interfere.
- Control your time to renew yourself and be available.
- Every visitor can become family and potentially experience a retreat. Your home can provide a space for family life as it’s meant to be, a space of peace, whether they stay two minutes or two days.
- You can take the truths of a spiritual family to others. You can bring the understanding, the bits of information you’ve gleaned and found to be true. You can take them wherever you go.
- Also, you can provide the extras to aid other families. Such as, bring a plate of cookies or a some moments of peace for a mother of preschoolers.
The Ultimate Question
It seems to me the ultimate question will not be, how much money did my husband make? Or my wife or children? The ultimate question won’t be, how successful or famous in the eyes of the world have we all been?
I think at the end of life you’re going to ask questions like, are they all saved? Do they all know the Lord? Will we spend eternity together? Meanwhile, did they accomplish something of lasting value on earth? Was there meaning and purpose to their lives? Are they still close to you? And close to each other? Does the love and family fellowship you once had still exist?
You’ll also ask such questions as, did they grow in wisdom and learn how to enjoy the life appointed to them? Those are the things we should attempt to establish right now.
Family life can work whether you have six kids or none, whether you live in a mountain cabin, a townhouse, or a mansion. Whether your family only visits you once a year or they never let you out of their sight. Whether you’re related to everyone in town or have a roommate or occasional travel partner, family life that works includes privacy, intimacy, maturity, and spirituality.
Stephen Bly
Copyright 1984
Feed Your Soul Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
House of Eclectic Colors Image by Prawny from Pixabay
Family Single Person Image by Donate PayPal Me from Pixabay
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“Signs of a Spiritual Home” audio podcast by award-winning western author Stephen Bly. Recorded at Fillmore Bible Church, Fillmore, California, 1984. Sponsored by BlyBooks.com Legacy Series.
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