One of the marks of a disciple of Christ is the desire to show hospitality.  In Romans 12:13, Paul writes, “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seeks to show hospitality.”  If you are a home-maker, you have the wonderful privilege of making your home a haven.  When you entertain, you are able to show the world a unique perspective on Christian love.

Proverbs 14:1 says that the wise woman builds her home, but the foolish one tears it down.  Are you building a haven for your family?  Would you categorize your home life as one of peace or stress?  Is your home life joyful or full of anger?  Is there abounding forgiveness or bitter resentment?  Virtues aside, how about your attitude towards children and marriage?  Do you want more babies?  If so, why not?  Children make a home wonderfully full of life!  There’s almost always laughing and silly things going on.  What about your marriage?  Do you and your husband try to out-serve one another?  Is there an easy friendship between the two of you?  If you are both healthy, is your sex life fantastic?  All of these make a home a haven.

There were a few years (I’m sad to say)during which our home life was not a haven.  It began with my bad attitude towards being a wife and mother.  I had two little baby girls, Brett was working looong hours, and, on top of it, he liked to go out and do guy stuff.  No wonder!  He probably didn’t like to come home to me- a stressed, ungrateful, cantankerous woman.  I was bitter and resentful of all his “free time,” though he always allowed me to hire a baby-sitter during the day if I needed a break.  I was mad at the messes my girls made, of all the time it took to train them (as if they were born well-trained), and how very tired I always was.  I always had a “schedule” that our family had to follow which led to me being a stressed- out lady.  If we did anything not on my plan for the day, I would get all bent out of shape.  Talk about controlling and difficult.  That was me in a nutshell.

What happened?  Though I had heard teachings on being a homemaker, being a wife, I never really allowed the truth of God’s Word to penetrate my heart.  I am slow to learn things.  God disciplines those He loves, and after being wonderfully patient with me, He allowed a more difficult season of discipline into my life.  It was then that I truly decided to obey God.  The home life that I was foolishly tearing down was now being built up by my own, wiser, hands.

If you are a single woman, a wife, a wife and mother, a grandmother, there is nothing more exciting, more fulfilling, more gratifying than making your home a haven.  Make it a place that people are drawn to.  Make it beautiful by whatever meager means you might have; make it filled with the Holy Spirit by asking Him to join you there; make it peaceful by lighting candles, playing praise music, disciplining your children appropriately; make it joyful by having traditions, by laughing, by eating meals together; make it a haven by praying, serving, and worshipping God there.  The Bible says that a wise woman, “looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” (Proverbs 31:27) That’s how making a home a haven happens.

There’s always time to repair the broken down walls of your home.  Start by confessing, repenting, and hiding God’s Word in your heart, but then get to work!  Life is short.  Decide today to make your home a haven.

-Kath

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