The Godly Home: Wisdom or Folly

Proverbs 14:1  

The wisest of women builds her house,

but folly with her own hands tears it down.

 

  It is a sobering thought that I have the power, when driven by folly and foolishness, to tear down my house with my hands.   It puts the fear of the Lord within my bones.   It drives me to prayer and I beg for mercy and Grace for the new day....

• Proverbs 1:7  

  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;

  fools despise wisdom and instruction.

   

  • Proverbs 24:3  

    By wisdom a house is built,

    and by understanding it is established;

     

    If so much of  building a godly home is centered around wisdom, then what are we to do?  We, who are conceived in sin. We, who are inclined to selfishness. 

    Ephesians 1:17  

    that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,

     Colossians 3:16  

  • Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

     

      I spent many years with a radio in my kitchen. I would turn on the station that had continual scripture, teaching, encouragement and hymns and spiritual songs being sung.  Peace pervaded my home on those mornings.  It is a little harder now with 5 busy, children ranging from 11-4 always milling about. If I do manage to get music on, I cannot hear it and if I can hear the music, they cannot hear me.  But, what a blessing to have our home filled with the praises of our Lord and Savior.  Somehow cleaning goes twice as fast, the spirit is lifted and the air is cleared.

     

• James 1:5 

  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

     I, a sinner, am so thankful for the promise of James 1:5.  Many times I have had sheer chaos erupt in my home and I will immediately  utter a prayer of, "Lord, give me  wisdom, help me."   It is amazing how He hears these prayers. How, in the instant that we need it, He is there with an open hand of wisdom to pass to us, his daughter's.

    But, I believe the most essential part to the maintenance of a godly home is, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom".  Isn't that to be the sum of our existence as believers in Christ?  If the word of Christ is dwelling richly within us, everything else will begin to change, because we will begin to change.   The word of God is our lifeline, it is our sustenance, our renewal. 

    Having a godly home doesn't mean that you will have a perfect home, or that you will always rise chipper from bed at 6 in the morning. Having a godly home means that first, we fear God; and second, that we build our house with His wisdom, the wisdom that He alone can empart.

    Almighty God, give us homes that reflect Your glory, lips that sing your praise, hearts that fear You and words that carry wisdom to all who hear them.  Carry us this day, oh Lord as we are desperate and helpless without You.

  Amen

   

  Have a blessed day, a day of wisdom and grace,

  Molly

 This post was written for The Christian Home magazine.