home life in christian living
Your home life is the first place in which you demonstrate Christian living. Allow Christ to be exemplified through you with your marriage, children, and others in your family who are without Christ.
Living as a Christian among your family members can be such a wonderful journey or a very difficult and challenging one, depending on whether or not they too are believers in Christ. Why do I say this? Because unless everyone at home is a believer also and in agreement with one another of their faith and trust in God, then there is very little family unity there.
There is much spiritual power when Jesus Christ is present in your home life. Matthew 18:20 says "For where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them." And, referring to those of us who may have non-believing spouses, deeply-connected friendships, associates, or business partnerships in which we hold dearly or in high regard for, in 2 Corinthians 6:14 we are instructed to "Be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" This can be extremely challenging for us to live righteous and holy lives before them when there is that unrelenting influence of Satan all around us and at every turn.
Important issues that affect your home life
You may indeed live in a Christian home or one that is far from it, but regardless of the conditions in which you and your family live, you each have separate lives, and yet live and commune together as a unit.
You may be a father, mother, sister, brother, uncle, aunt, grandparent, or a single-parent reading this and trying to make sense of the dynamics within your own family. You and the other members of your family are the only ones who truly know each other on the deepest levels. This gives you the knowledge needed to help and uplift each other in their times of need. Thank the Lord and be very grateful to Him for the family He has given you. Although we did not pick our parents or our siblings, God had a reason and a divine plan as to why He had you born to your particular parents and paired you off with your siblings as He did.
Spiritual foundation is key to a strong Christian home life. When you run your home by the Word of God, your children learn to obey and respect you; your spouse is able to love, honor, and cherish you; and your neighbors see your honesty and integrity through your dealings with them. When you have God on your side your issues and topics of family distention seem lessened because you believe Him and trust that He will help you through many of these issues that come up in family living today. A few of them we will discuss in upcoming pages such as:
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Operating a welcoming, peaceful home. This may include all the various aspects of your lifestyle while running a welcoming home. Your own home life may include things such as: decorating, entertaining, cooking, cleaning, sewing, organizing, gardening, chores, and so forth. Each aspect of your home life make up for a pleasant and peaceful atmosphere for all who live there to enjoy. Christian Marriage: These include the many ups and downs of living as a married couple. These can be challenging within the home and must be dealt with the moment they arise so they do not get out of control later on. Children's Issues/Topics Of Importance--this can include things like their various stages of physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and spiritual development. Also discussed are health issues, social issues, their ever-growing digital world, homework, obedience, morning routines, etc. Teenage/Adolescence Issues and Concerns--such as teenage pregnancies, drug/substance abuse, bullying in schools or on the internet, defiance, disobedience, teaching them life's skills, and various other topics pertinent to their age group. Grandparents--how families should continue to be connected to their elderly members because of the rich and valuable experiences they add to the family unit. Much can be learned through a grandparent's example in life, especially if it is one that is godly in its nature and application. |
Christian Parenting: never an easy feat but can be extremely rewarding as you watch your kids grow up in the Lord. We touch on subjects such as: Fatherhood--the importance of being a Christian dad, and how having fathers in the home can bring about strength, peace, security, and stability into the family unit; Motherhood--the importance of being a Christian mom, and how having mothers in the home can bring about a tender, nurturing environment, full of love and devotion to her children and husband. Also discussed here is that of blended families, its dynamics, and how it has changed how we look at the Christian family unit today, etc. Family Discussions--these should always be biblically-centered in loving but very informative and direct ways. Here we discuss how to lead family discussions, how to communicate with each other in constructive ways, getting to the root of problems before they arise, etc. Education: Discussed here are various aspects of education for the whole family as it pertains to Christian living, including topics such as: differing factors of Christian education vs. secular education, elementary, middle, high school issues, homeschooling, college/university life, online and distance learning. etc. Difficult Home Issues: These happen in just about every home one time or another. Here we discuss concerning issues within the family, such as: abortion, homosexuality, extramarital affairs, sex before marriage, divorce, separation, alcohol/drug/sex addition and abuses, etc. Social Issues: Our world is full of chaos, trauma, and unrest which affects every Christian family these days. We touch on topics such as: social unrest, ongoing protests, government rules and changes, gun control issues, and we talk about how we are to act or react as believers to these many concerns of our day. |
analyze your family's home life according to God's word
So, within the arena of your home life, where do you begin leading your family into righteous and holy living, while living in this world's system with so many sinful elements which bombard your family and attempts to hijack your faith on a daily basis? God's Word. That's where you begin. Here are a few scripture passages that may help you to see the importance of :keeping God at the center of your home life:
- Philippians 2:2 says, "Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind."
- Colossians 3:12-14 says, "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forebearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness."
- Deuteronomy 11:19 says, "And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thy sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou layest down, and when thou riseth up."
- Proverbs 3:5-8 says, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes, fear the Lord and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel and marrow to thy bones."And lastly,
- Ephesians 2:12 says," For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God had before ordained that we should walk in them."
In closing, I will remind you that your home life is directly and indirectly affected through your Christian living and the witness and testimony you portray to others as you live for Christ. He expects us to share the good news first with those who are the dearest and nearest to us--those at home. I exhort you, just as the apostle did in Matthew 5:16 when he said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." May you be that shining light for your family today.
Related Articles:
Motherhood: A High Calling From God
Christian Marriage: Guidelines To Live By
Family Health, Wellness, And Fitness
Fatherhood: Bringing Stability To The Family Unit
Marriage In The Christian Home
Family Parenting: Instilling Principles And Values In Your Children For Life
Importance Of Fathers In The Home
Educational Routes For Your Children
Childhood And Adolescence: Times Of Learning And Growing
Love Marriage; Don't Frown On It!
Tying The Knot: Should You, Or Shouldn't You?
Cooking Skills For The Christian Homemaker
Sewing Skills For The Christian Homemaker
Children: God's Greatest Gift To Your Family