The Soil of the Home

The Lord loves the home. When He came to earth, He was raised in a home with a godly mother and father. It was here that He was nurtured and loved upon while He grew to be an adult. If God placed His only begotten Son in a home with a full-time godly mother and hardworking father, don't you believe this is how all of His children should be raised? Of course He does since He knows this is the best place for godly families to be raised. However, our culture has torn down the home and caused the soil to be dry and barren.

Abigail Dodd explained it beautifully, "Yet, the vision our culture offers is a sad consolation that exchanges the glory of feminine strength for a treadmill race to nowhere. It squanders the kind of influence that is found primarily in the soil of the home. The home — that center of all learning, the heart of nation-building, the dispenser of love and stability, the venue for gospel hospitality for single and married alike, in short, the footings of humanity. This home-based influence that — because of Christ — can last for a thousand generations, yet our culture urges us to cast it aside for the pursuit of rewards a little less off in the distance and certainly ones that don’t require diapering.

A woman is a prism that takes in light and turns it into an array of greater, fuller glory, so that those around her now see the rainbow that was contained in the beam. She constantly radiates reminders of God’s faithfulness. She reads the black and white pages of the Word of God and takes on the task of living them out in vibrant hues for her children, her neighbors, and the world to see. When the Bible commands feeding, nourishing, training and love, a godly woman sets to the task, enhancing and beautifying everything around her."

Get off of the treadmill that the world has to offer and jump onto the ancient, narrow path that those who love the Lord Jesus and want to obey Him walk on. Study His Word and see that His will for you clearly is to be at home and raising godly offspring, if you have children. You don't need to compete with men or try to be men. You can blossom in the role that He has given you and thrive where He wants you planted in the soil of the home.

Make sure the soil of your home, where your children are being raised, is richly fertilized with a lot of love, respect, kindness, gentleness, patience, peace, and faithfulness. Don't have favorites among your children but pour love upon them equally. Show them respect as human beings and make sure you teach them how much they are loved and valued by the Lord. Let your home be known for kindness towards each other. Model it to your children and correct any behavior that isn't kind. Be gentle with your children and not harsh. They are, after all, just children and still have a lot to learn. Have patience when they make mistakes like spilling their juice or are struggling with something. It takes time for them to grow up to be adults and act like them!

The soil of your home should be one of peace. Make sure there is no arguing or fighting since the Lord wants us to pursue peace with all men. Finally, show faithfulness to your children by keeping your vows to your husband, planting your children deeply into God's Word so their roots will grow deep into Jesus and they will grow up to be trees of righteousness. Their faith will be strong to weather the trials and temptations that will come their way because they will know and serve the Lover of their soul. God will most certainly be glorified in a home with this richly fertilized soil.

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
Isaiah 61:3