As For Me And My House…

I’m currently in the midst of trying to sell and then buy a house. If you’ve ever had to do this, you know how miserable it can be trying to get everything together. You have to get your own house in order; clean it beyond what you would normally keep the house so it looks majestic for potential buyers, find an agent that will do their best to get the best deal for you, and get ready to leave your house on a moment’s notice so strangers can walk through and examine your home. Getting 6 and 7-year-olds to keep their rooms clean 24/7 is a challenge all by itself. Then there’s securing a loan, beginning the process of shopping for a home, and the bidding war. After securing the loan and having your bid accepted, there’s the dance of the move-in date. Can the other seller move out in a timely manner, or are they still searching for a home? Has my house sold so that I can actually give them a prompt date to move in? The whole thing can make you want to pull your hair out.

There’s one factor, though, that affects the whole process and can railroad everything…your past. More specifically, your financial past. Were you lazy with past house payments? Bills? Credit Cards? Were you maxing out every credit card you could get your hands on instead of saving up for the things you wanted? Are you swimming in so much debt that you can only afford half the house you need, or worse yet, you can’t secure a loan? Regardless of how well you’ve kept your house up, or the dream home you want to buy, if your credit is garbage, you will not be able to get through this whole process without frustration and lost sleep. 

How we steward what God has given us can really come back to haunt us. This isn’t just when it comes to money, either. It can be how we treat our bodies over time. Are we eating the right foods? Are we getting enough exercise? Are we sleeping enough? Are we putting substances into our bodies that are destroying them? It can be in friendships as well. Being available, not only physically but spiritually and emotionally, is necessary for a relationship to thrive. It matters with our work. Are we serving as though we are serving the Lord? Do we put in 110% or dial it in each day? Stewardship is also important when it comes to discipleship. Are we teaching, leading, and guiding those we are discipling with intention and purpose? When God gives us the opportunity to disciple, we shouldn’t take that for granted.

And what discipleship is more important than discipling your children? Your family is your first mission. Are you intentionally discipling those under your roof who are entrusted to your care, or are you expecting the children’s and youth ministers to do the work for you?

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4–9

The most important discipleship you will do will be inside the walls of your house, on family vacations, and going out to eat. How you react to tough situations, the way you spend your time, and how often you pray will all be viewed through the most impressionable eyes in your world. Your children are trying to learn the best way to live, and you are the place where they will learn the most about that. This can be intimidating, but it should be exciting. We get the opportunity to raise our children in the ways of Jesus. We get to set in motion a lifestyle that will allow them to thrive in this world and be set up for eternity. We just need to be vigilant. We can’t take breaks from being good parents. Their little brains never turn off, and neither can our example. They’ll see it all; the good, the bad, and the ugly. One thing is for certain, though. We are helping them build a firm foundation in Christ. 

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6

Training up a child is hard work. They are trying to figure out boundaries. How far can I take this before I get in trouble? What is right? What is wrong? Can I eat this? That question probably gets asked more by children, internally, than we will ever know. When these questions arise, are we there to answer them, or are we sitting on the couch staring at our phones? Our children need us. They need our attention. They need our guidance. They need our time. Our children are a blessing from God.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!
Psalm 127:3–5

Our children are to be our joy. Some days, they can feel like the bane of our existence, but we know the love we felt the day they were born. When my son and daughter were born, I’ve never felt a love like that in my life. It wasn’t like the love I have for my wife. It’s nothing like the love I have for God. It was a love that carried weight. It was a mixture of joy, gratefulness, and part fear. This child was created by my wife and me. They carry our DNA. As much as I love them, I know that they are my responsibility. I am their father, and my role is to make them into a disciple. It is the highest calling I could have. The world will try to teach our children it’s ways, but we need to stand firm. It’s not the world’s responsibility to raise our children. It’s ours. Don’t neglect this awesome responsibility that we have as parents.

“But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
 Josua 24:15