Saturday, January 9, 2010

The Heart of the Home


One book that has been a blessing to me is the book Homemaking by J. R. Miller, and in it there is a particular section that stood out to me in regards to home life:

". . . only the spirit of Christ in a household makes a truly Christian home . . . There are some fields of grass from which in summer days rises a sweet fragrance, although not a flower is anywhere to be seen. But when you part the tall grass and look down among its roots, there, close on the ground, hidden under the showy, waving grass, you see multitudes of small flowers, modest and lowly, yet pouring forth a delicate and delicious aroma filling all the air. There are homes in which there is nothing remarkable in the way of grandeur or elegance, yet the very atmosphere as you enter is filled with sweetness, like 'the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed.' It is the aroma of love, the love of Christ shed abroad in human hearts." (Homemaking J. R. Miller pg. 231-232)

This beautiful word picture brought the thought to mind that a house, a home, can be kept sparkly clean, have a fresh baked pie cooling on the counter, fragrant flowers adorning corners of the rooms, beautiful canned goods lining the pantry shelves, colorful afghans, quilts and other homemade items decorating the home, and it can look like a picture perfect house out of a magazine. . . but if Christ, His Word and a heart after Him is absent, what is all this worth? 

In the scope of what truly matters eternally, it really is worth nothing. It may be beautiful to the human eye, but without the foundation and the fragrance of Christ which lasts and endures, all of this is naught but like the grass that fades and the flower that falls off (1 Peter 1:24.)

This is a good reminder that in the midst of being busy around our homes and striving to help make them a haven for our families, to not forget about what the foundation of the home needs to be . . . that is, centered around the Lord and His Word. May we never forget where the focus of our hearts, our minds and our actions should be placed; as the apostle Paul exhorts: "set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth" (Colossians 3:2.) 

As we seek to set our minds and hearts on the heavenly things, the things of the Lord, may our homes truly become a place of refuge and peace for our dear families; a place of refreshment, strengthening and fellowship in the Lord; and when others come to our home, may they not see so much the physical, but may they truly see and recognize that Christ is the foundation, the fragrance, of the home.

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing . . ." (2 Corinthians 2:14-15)


-Posted by Sarah

14 comments:

  1. This post sounds vaguely familiar...have you posted it before?

    Love the picture you paint of a tranquil, peaceful home. And you're right...the real secret to having joy and peace is to make Christ the very center of our homes.

    ~ Betsy

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  2. Those are good thoughts, Sarah. Our homes need to be places of rest, places where Christ can be found. Thank you for the encouragement and reminder that even in our busy schedules, we need to make sure we are putting the Lord and others first.

    Anna

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  3. You have a good memory, Betsy! :) Yes, this had been posted on my As Lilies blog a few years ago, and as this topic was on my heart recently, I thought I would share it again here (though, some parts of it were reworked.)

    Yes, true joy and peace in the home comes through having Christ at the very center. Thank you for sharing that! :)

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  4. Thank you, Anna, for sharing these points! They are good reminders. Your last sentence especially, we need to have the Lord as first in our lives, with others being second . . . these are in fact a reflection of the greatest commands that God has given to us: loving the Lord God with all that we are and loving our neighbor as ourselves. May this be something that we remember and grow in practicing as we go about our busy day to day lives!

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  5. Hi Sarah and Leah~yes,I agree. I have been in homes that at first seem so warm and inviting but then I realize that Christ is not there.By the magazines I see, the t.v shows that are talked about, the clothes the people are wearing etc. How can He be around sin? He cannot. I think of Mary and Martha. I am so like Mary~I will sit and read, knit~I would have loved to be sitting at the feet of Jesus just listening to Him and feeling His peace. Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen the better part. My sister is Martha and cannot understand how I can sit and read my Bible instead of cleaning every nook and crany. That is just not my nature. She comes for a visit for tea and winds up cleaning my kitchen that I had just cleaned. It is sort of funny and I love her so much. Thank you for this post. It was such a blessing to me. Rose

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  6. Oh I love this blog Too!

    I am following this one to!

    I love finding other like-minded young maidens, who love to serve God as I do!

    Your Sister in Christ,
    Johanna

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  7. Thank you for your comment, Rose! Yes, it is important and it is pleasing to the Lord for each one of us to strive after having a “Mary heart” instead of a “Martha heart” as well as to keep our hearts and minds fixed on the Lord as we go through the busyness of our lives. Which is easier said than done! :)

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  8. Welcome to our blog, Johanna, and thank you for your sweet comment! :)

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  9. you have written a good article... may God bless you and your sister more...

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  10. What a GREAT post! It is so true, you can take the greatest pains on making your house homey, but a house without Christ dwelling in it is empty!

    Have a blessed day,

    Your Loving sister in Christ,

    Johanna

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  11. Thank you, Arnel Oroceo, for the encouraging words!

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  12. Thank you, Johanna, for your comment and for sharing that! And how true it is . . . a home without Christ is indeed empty. But how beautiful when He is dwelling there! May we each strive to have Him as the center of our lives and homes!

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  13. Dear Miss Sarah,
    What a lovely post. A home filled with the spirit of Christ is such a haven for all who enter and dwell within. I so enjoy J.R. Miller's writings...are you familiar with this website?(http://www.jr-miller.com/books.html) It has many of his writings online...a wonderful resource if your library doesn't carry them.
    Precious blessings to you and your family,
    Mrs. Laura

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  14. Thank you, Mrs. Laura, for your sweet comment! And no, I am unfamiliar with J.R. Miller's website. Thank you for sharing the link to it! I am very much looking forward to visiting it and reading more of his writings. I have been so blessed by what I have read by him so far!

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