My Heart and My Home
by Mrs. Cathy Corle
My Heart & My Home
It’s always a blessing and encouragement for those moments to come around when family members express appreciation for our efforts at being the kind of wives and mothers that the Bible describes. In fact, it’s one of the rewards promised in scripture to those ladies who make it their goal to follow the Bible’s example of the virtuous woman. “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.” (Proverbs 31:28-31) Every mom in the world could tell you what a joy it is to her heart when one of her own pronounces her ‘Best Mom in the World.’
And since we are often discouraged by our own short-comings and faults, it’s even more of a blessing when we are reminded that our families are still aware of the kind of mom and wife we want to be and try to be. Just the fact that we desire the best blessings of God’s will and plan for our families, that our goals are for the right things, that is a step in the right direction even before I scrutinize my less-than-perfect attempts at being that kind of wife and mother.
So during these special days, I hope you receive lots of those blessings from your family. Meanwhile, I want to share a couple thoughts that have been challenging (and did I say convicting?) to me when it comes to matters of heart and home.
My house and my heart are, at least in some ways, a reflection of each other, and I want both to be pleasing to the Lord. Someone once said that if a father is the head of the home, then a mother is the heart of the home. The condition and ‘bless-a-bility’ of both my heart and home are my responsibility, as well as my opportunity to serve God. I’m blessed with many open doors of serving the Lord, but there is none that is more valuable or important than the ministry I can have in the lives of my husband and children.
Now I will be the first to tell you that ‘house’ is not always my best accomplishment. Somebody once joked about their diet saying, “I hope it’s not true that you are what you eat, since most of my diet could be described as fast, cheap and easy!” I might make a similar quip about housekeeping and organization, since that’s an area I never quite feel is under control, but I promise to keep working on it!
While a husband and wife are one, and they both have family responsibilities, I can’t argue with the fact that Paul instructed women to be the primary ‘keepers at home.’ “That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” (Titus 2:4-5) The house is definitely part of that, and if you are like me, then there’s something to put on the list titled ‘Could Use Improvement’!
We can relate to the old saying that, “Man’s work goes from sun to sun, But a woman’s work is never done.” When the washing machine can’t seem to run fast enough to cause the piles of laundry to shrink instead of grow, and the house is messed up right behind us faster than we can progress in cleaning from one room to the next, it can be disheartening some days! Still, mom is the ‘domestic engineer’ and ‘household manager,’ even though we can all use some assistance from the rest of the family sometimes. It’s good to keep in mind that a perfectly clean house would be easy if I lived there all alone, but that’s not what I want a house for! The blessing of family is worth the work it entails, even when it comes to our least favorite chores.
In some families, both the husband and wife are working to provide income, but the Bible is clear that the final responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the husband. The first verse that comes to mind is I Timothy 5:8. “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” Those are some pretty strong words. It’s not necessarily wrong when a wife helps and they work together in that endeavor, but in God’s eyes, the husband and father is the bearer of that responsibility.
Likewise, no one would argue that sometimes the wife and mother needs the cooperation of her husband and children when it comes to the housekeeping chores and upkeep, as well as cleaning, cooking, laundry... I know you don’t want me to keep lengthening the list! But I’m pretty sure we, as ladies, will have to admit that the primary responsibility for this part of the family’s well-being is assigned to the wife and mother. The world will jump on those notions as being ‘archaic,’ ‘sexist,’ and ‘politically incorrect’ as well as a bunch of other not-so-nice labels, but the Bible hasn’t changed, and it is still the blue-print for the happy home that God designed in the Garden of Eden. So even when I would like to argue, I need to be honest enough to come back to what the Bible says.
Proverbs 31 says that God’s virtuous woman “...looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.” That term ‘looketh well’ pictures a lady who is leaning toward, peering into, closely watching. This ideal wife and mother is industrious, diligent, hard-working, and creative. But I don’t think that verse is only about washing windows and cleaning carpets. I believe ‘household’ has more to do with the people who are in the household, not just the care of the physical place.
Remember the term ‘household’ is not always referring to the structure. In fact, it seems to me that ‘house’ and ‘household’ in the Bible most often refer to the people who live in the house, instead of the house itself. The Bible talks about Lydia being saved and baptized with all her household, as well as the Philippian jailer, to whom Paul and Silas said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” The next verse says, “And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.” Obviously, in verse 31 the words ‘thy house’ are referring to the people, not the building that they live in.
The most important thing about any home is the people who live in it, and that needs to be our primary focus and goal. I already know I will never win a House Beautiful award, but I hope my family will always feel loved and cared for beyond the slightest doubt. If I’m ‘looking well’ into the lives of my family, then I am in touch, aware, up to date, and closely monitoring what is happening in the lives of the people that live in my household. I am looking out for their needs. That may take on a different description with babies and toddlers than it will with teenagers, but I’m sure that it means we stay close and stay informed and stay involved in the lives of our loved ones. My responsibilities to do with the building where we live are only important so that the house can serve the needs of the household, therefore I can relegate the importance of each task on my to-do list with that priority in mind.
Let Your Light So Shine... To All That Are In The House
Some time ago I heard a wonderful devotional lesson from my friend, Cindy Woodward, and it really set off the bells and whistles in my brain, as well as blessing my heart. Jesus taught about the importance of our testimony during the Sermon on the Mount. “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16) My life is suppose to be a shining light to those around me that reflects the Light of the World, my Lord and Savior. Testimony is supposed to be visible to the world, and we are commanded to let our light shine so that others can see God’s truth and salvation. We are not suppose to hide our light, but LET it shine.
I had never stopped to think about this phrase in relation to my home... “...and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.” If I have that kind of a godly testimony that is real and shines the light of Christ living in me, then it won’t just be evident at church. My testimony ought to be clear and plain to everyone around me, and most importantly, to those who live at the same address. The people who know me best are also the ones who sometimes see me at my worst. Would the people in my family think I have a shining light for the Lord?
I once heard the idea behind the word ‘sincere.’ In the marketplaces of Bible times, sometimes a dishonest merchant would hide a crack in a piece of pottery by melting wax into the crack and covering it with paint. Then he would try to sell the piece for full price, hoping that the defect would not be discovered until after he had been paid. So it was not uncommon for a buyer to ask if a piece was ‘sine-cere’ or without wax. Is it really what it appears to be, or is there some hidden flaw? We may fool other people and convince them we are something that we are not, but I don’t think that is going to work for long with the people who know us best. We need to be real, sincere, transparent Christians who have a testimony that we walk with the Lord and do our best to live clean and obedient lives and try to please Him all the time. That is what will make a difference in my testimony before my family. Home is the most important place for my light to shine.
Christianity is not to be put on like a mink coat, only to show off in front of certain people at certain times. Christianity ought to be our work clothes, from sun up to sun down, every day, all the time. Psalm 101:2-3 is a daily challenge. “I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” The condition of my heart ought to be perfect, clean, and right at all times, but especially at home with my family. If I have a right heart, it will show up in what I put before my eyes, even at home, and it will show up in what I love and what I hate. It’s true that you can’t love flowers without hating weeds. Like the Psalmist, we ought to hate the work of those who turn aside from what is right, and be determined to have no connection with that kind of harmful evil.
We read of the glorious conversion of the maniac of Gadara who, after his salvation, was clothed and in his right mind, and desired to go with Jesus. In Mark 5:19 we read, “Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” This astounding miracle was a testimony to everyone who saw him, but Jesus sent him back to his home and said he needed to tell his family what the Lord had done for him. His testimony was important first at home. In Luke 8:39 we find it worded this way: “Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee...” Not only was he instructed to TELL his family what the Lord had done for him, he was also suppose to SHOW them.
It is precious and priceless to me that Jesus commanded this transformed maniac to ‘go home to thy friends.’ Are we cultivating that sweet kind of relationship called friendship with all those who live at our house? Are we treating them with the same kind of courtesy, care and compassion that we bestow on the rest of our friends? I’m afraid that sometimes the people we claim to love the most are the ones that we show our love to the least.
What kind of testimony do I have before the world and the church? What kind of testimony do I have before my family at home? Would those who see me most and know me best say that my testimony was courteous and kind? Or would selfish and thoughtless be a more accurate description? Would my actions and attitudes and words fit in the category of being Christ-like? Or do I make excuses for behavior and conversation that are far removed from what Jesus would do? Do I have a daily relationship with God that is real and evident, where I take time each day with my Bible and prayer? No matter who does or doesn’t see, even in my most private moments, God always sees and knows the truth about me. If I am living with that reality in mind, then a true and real testimony that is just as good at home as it is out and about ought to be the result, and our moments of failure met with repentance instead of excuses.
Let your light so shine before men -- not just before God -- so that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in Heaven. If my testimony is the shining light God said it should be, then it will light the way for those around me, and the people who will benefit most are those closest to me, the ones I love the most. “It giveth light to all that are in the house.”
The Sweet Fragrance of Your Service and Worship will Permeate your Home
Have you ever walked into a room and said, “Aaahhh... what is that heavenly smell?” A fragrance that is pleasing can definitely add to the inviting atmosphere. I know there have been times when you’ve walked into a place and said, “Ugh, yuck!” and either held your nose or ran right back out the door, and you didn’t have to stop and think about it either! A strong fragrance is not something that is easily missed or ignored. One fifth of our physical sense is focused on that part of our surroundings, and our reactions are usually pretty vehement and instant!
The Bible tells us in numerous places that our prayers are a sweet smell to God, as well as our service and worship. This scene from Heaven is described in Revelation 5. “And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;” Notice that the contents of those golden vials full of odours was the prayers of the saints.
More valuable than the most costly perfume known to man is the wonderful fragrance of your worship, prayer, and service to the Lord. From everything I can see reading my Bible, that lovely fragrance is very precious and delightful to our Heavenly Father. But not long ago this story caught my attention and this thought was so sweet and encouraging to me.
Many times I’ve thought of the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus that was so often opened to the Lord Jesus and His disciples as a haven of rest, refreshment, friendship and encouragement. This family actively served the Lord and sought to meet His physical needs in their home, and I can’t help but think it might have been our Lord’s very favorite household haven and place to visit during His earthly ministry. What a privilege!
“Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” (John 12:1-3) It is apparent in scripture that this act of worship and sacrifice touched the heart of Jesus and He recognized the intention and desire behind it. But not only did this fragrance of her worship reach the Lord, the sweet smell also reached everyone in the house It’s incense filled their entire home. “...and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.”
If your life is centered around serving the Lord, no doubt there have been times when the devil whispered discouragement into your ear, as if your dedication and time spent serving God is taking away from your family. I am definitely not an advocate of having a 24/7 ministry at the church that keeps us absent from family. But I truly believe that my God-given ministry to my family is as important as every other avenue of ministry where I serve the Lord. I also believe that we, as couples and families, ought to serve the Lord together and find opportunities to work together in the ministry, which can only strengthen our relationships, drawing us closer to the Lord and each other.
But this thought greatly blesses my heart: that my prayers, that my service, that my worship of the Lord is a sweet-smelling fragrance that delights and pleases the Lord, and that wonderful fragrance is also a blessing that fills my home and has a positive and powerful effect on the atmosphere of our household.
I challenge you to open your home to Jesus, to His work and His servants, as Mary and Martha and Lazarus did. The sweetness of your service to God will permeate your home so that everyone in the house can enjoy it’s wonderful aroma. “...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
Well, I can see that I have added quite a bit to my to-do list! Our life’s work and crowning achievement is to love God and serve Him with heart and home. I know that I fall far short of the lofty goals I’ve described, but I still think that is the direction in which I should be headed.
Our friend, Evangelist Sam Gipp, often words his desire in pleasing the Lord something like this: “I want my life to bring a smile to the face of God.” I’ve adopted that little slogan in my heart, and I want to make the Lord smile, too, not just in what He sees in my life when I’m soulwinning on the street or singing His praises in the church -- but also in what He sees when He looks at my heart and my home.
It’s always a blessing and encouragement for those moments to come around when family members express appreciation for our efforts at being the kind of wives and mothers that the Bible describes. In fact, it’s one of the rewards promised in scripture to those ladies who make it their goal to follow the Bible’s example of the virtuous woman. “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.” (Proverbs 31:28-31) Every mom in the world could tell you what a joy it is to her heart when one of her own pronounces her ‘Best Mom in the World.’
And since we are often discouraged by our own short-comings and faults, it’s even more of a blessing when we are reminded that our families are still aware of the kind of mom and wife we want to be and try to be. Just the fact that we desire the best blessings of God’s will and plan for our families, that our goals are for the right things, that is a step in the right direction even before I scrutinize my less-than-perfect attempts at being that kind of wife and mother.
So during these special days, I hope you receive lots of those blessings from your family. Meanwhile, I want to share a couple thoughts that have been challenging (and did I say convicting?) to me when it comes to matters of heart and home.
My house and my heart are, at least in some ways, a reflection of each other, and I want both to be pleasing to the Lord. Someone once said that if a father is the head of the home, then a mother is the heart of the home. The condition and ‘bless-a-bility’ of both my heart and home are my responsibility, as well as my opportunity to serve God. I’m blessed with many open doors of serving the Lord, but there is none that is more valuable or important than the ministry I can have in the lives of my husband and children.
Now I will be the first to tell you that ‘house’ is not always my best accomplishment. Somebody once joked about their diet saying, “I hope it’s not true that you are what you eat, since most of my diet could be described as fast, cheap and easy!” I might make a similar quip about housekeeping and organization, since that’s an area I never quite feel is under control, but I promise to keep working on it!
While a husband and wife are one, and they both have family responsibilities, I can’t argue with the fact that Paul instructed women to be the primary ‘keepers at home.’ “That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” (Titus 2:4-5) The house is definitely part of that, and if you are like me, then there’s something to put on the list titled ‘Could Use Improvement’!
We can relate to the old saying that, “Man’s work goes from sun to sun, But a woman’s work is never done.” When the washing machine can’t seem to run fast enough to cause the piles of laundry to shrink instead of grow, and the house is messed up right behind us faster than we can progress in cleaning from one room to the next, it can be disheartening some days! Still, mom is the ‘domestic engineer’ and ‘household manager,’ even though we can all use some assistance from the rest of the family sometimes. It’s good to keep in mind that a perfectly clean house would be easy if I lived there all alone, but that’s not what I want a house for! The blessing of family is worth the work it entails, even when it comes to our least favorite chores.
In some families, both the husband and wife are working to provide income, but the Bible is clear that the final responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the husband. The first verse that comes to mind is I Timothy 5:8. “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” Those are some pretty strong words. It’s not necessarily wrong when a wife helps and they work together in that endeavor, but in God’s eyes, the husband and father is the bearer of that responsibility.
Likewise, no one would argue that sometimes the wife and mother needs the cooperation of her husband and children when it comes to the housekeeping chores and upkeep, as well as cleaning, cooking, laundry... I know you don’t want me to keep lengthening the list! But I’m pretty sure we, as ladies, will have to admit that the primary responsibility for this part of the family’s well-being is assigned to the wife and mother. The world will jump on those notions as being ‘archaic,’ ‘sexist,’ and ‘politically incorrect’ as well as a bunch of other not-so-nice labels, but the Bible hasn’t changed, and it is still the blue-print for the happy home that God designed in the Garden of Eden. So even when I would like to argue, I need to be honest enough to come back to what the Bible says.
Proverbs 31 says that God’s virtuous woman “...looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.” That term ‘looketh well’ pictures a lady who is leaning toward, peering into, closely watching. This ideal wife and mother is industrious, diligent, hard-working, and creative. But I don’t think that verse is only about washing windows and cleaning carpets. I believe ‘household’ has more to do with the people who are in the household, not just the care of the physical place.
Remember the term ‘household’ is not always referring to the structure. In fact, it seems to me that ‘house’ and ‘household’ in the Bible most often refer to the people who live in the house, instead of the house itself. The Bible talks about Lydia being saved and baptized with all her household, as well as the Philippian jailer, to whom Paul and Silas said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” The next verse says, “And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.” Obviously, in verse 31 the words ‘thy house’ are referring to the people, not the building that they live in.
The most important thing about any home is the people who live in it, and that needs to be our primary focus and goal. I already know I will never win a House Beautiful award, but I hope my family will always feel loved and cared for beyond the slightest doubt. If I’m ‘looking well’ into the lives of my family, then I am in touch, aware, up to date, and closely monitoring what is happening in the lives of the people that live in my household. I am looking out for their needs. That may take on a different description with babies and toddlers than it will with teenagers, but I’m sure that it means we stay close and stay informed and stay involved in the lives of our loved ones. My responsibilities to do with the building where we live are only important so that the house can serve the needs of the household, therefore I can relegate the importance of each task on my to-do list with that priority in mind.
Let Your Light So Shine... To All That Are In The House
Some time ago I heard a wonderful devotional lesson from my friend, Cindy Woodward, and it really set off the bells and whistles in my brain, as well as blessing my heart. Jesus taught about the importance of our testimony during the Sermon on the Mount. “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16) My life is suppose to be a shining light to those around me that reflects the Light of the World, my Lord and Savior. Testimony is supposed to be visible to the world, and we are commanded to let our light shine so that others can see God’s truth and salvation. We are not suppose to hide our light, but LET it shine.
I had never stopped to think about this phrase in relation to my home... “...and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.” If I have that kind of a godly testimony that is real and shines the light of Christ living in me, then it won’t just be evident at church. My testimony ought to be clear and plain to everyone around me, and most importantly, to those who live at the same address. The people who know me best are also the ones who sometimes see me at my worst. Would the people in my family think I have a shining light for the Lord?
I once heard the idea behind the word ‘sincere.’ In the marketplaces of Bible times, sometimes a dishonest merchant would hide a crack in a piece of pottery by melting wax into the crack and covering it with paint. Then he would try to sell the piece for full price, hoping that the defect would not be discovered until after he had been paid. So it was not uncommon for a buyer to ask if a piece was ‘sine-cere’ or without wax. Is it really what it appears to be, or is there some hidden flaw? We may fool other people and convince them we are something that we are not, but I don’t think that is going to work for long with the people who know us best. We need to be real, sincere, transparent Christians who have a testimony that we walk with the Lord and do our best to live clean and obedient lives and try to please Him all the time. That is what will make a difference in my testimony before my family. Home is the most important place for my light to shine.
Christianity is not to be put on like a mink coat, only to show off in front of certain people at certain times. Christianity ought to be our work clothes, from sun up to sun down, every day, all the time. Psalm 101:2-3 is a daily challenge. “I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” The condition of my heart ought to be perfect, clean, and right at all times, but especially at home with my family. If I have a right heart, it will show up in what I put before my eyes, even at home, and it will show up in what I love and what I hate. It’s true that you can’t love flowers without hating weeds. Like the Psalmist, we ought to hate the work of those who turn aside from what is right, and be determined to have no connection with that kind of harmful evil.
We read of the glorious conversion of the maniac of Gadara who, after his salvation, was clothed and in his right mind, and desired to go with Jesus. In Mark 5:19 we read, “Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” This astounding miracle was a testimony to everyone who saw him, but Jesus sent him back to his home and said he needed to tell his family what the Lord had done for him. His testimony was important first at home. In Luke 8:39 we find it worded this way: “Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee...” Not only was he instructed to TELL his family what the Lord had done for him, he was also suppose to SHOW them.
It is precious and priceless to me that Jesus commanded this transformed maniac to ‘go home to thy friends.’ Are we cultivating that sweet kind of relationship called friendship with all those who live at our house? Are we treating them with the same kind of courtesy, care and compassion that we bestow on the rest of our friends? I’m afraid that sometimes the people we claim to love the most are the ones that we show our love to the least.
What kind of testimony do I have before the world and the church? What kind of testimony do I have before my family at home? Would those who see me most and know me best say that my testimony was courteous and kind? Or would selfish and thoughtless be a more accurate description? Would my actions and attitudes and words fit in the category of being Christ-like? Or do I make excuses for behavior and conversation that are far removed from what Jesus would do? Do I have a daily relationship with God that is real and evident, where I take time each day with my Bible and prayer? No matter who does or doesn’t see, even in my most private moments, God always sees and knows the truth about me. If I am living with that reality in mind, then a true and real testimony that is just as good at home as it is out and about ought to be the result, and our moments of failure met with repentance instead of excuses.
Let your light so shine before men -- not just before God -- so that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in Heaven. If my testimony is the shining light God said it should be, then it will light the way for those around me, and the people who will benefit most are those closest to me, the ones I love the most. “It giveth light to all that are in the house.”
The Sweet Fragrance of Your Service and Worship will Permeate your Home
Have you ever walked into a room and said, “Aaahhh... what is that heavenly smell?” A fragrance that is pleasing can definitely add to the inviting atmosphere. I know there have been times when you’ve walked into a place and said, “Ugh, yuck!” and either held your nose or ran right back out the door, and you didn’t have to stop and think about it either! A strong fragrance is not something that is easily missed or ignored. One fifth of our physical sense is focused on that part of our surroundings, and our reactions are usually pretty vehement and instant!
The Bible tells us in numerous places that our prayers are a sweet smell to God, as well as our service and worship. This scene from Heaven is described in Revelation 5. “And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;” Notice that the contents of those golden vials full of odours was the prayers of the saints.
More valuable than the most costly perfume known to man is the wonderful fragrance of your worship, prayer, and service to the Lord. From everything I can see reading my Bible, that lovely fragrance is very precious and delightful to our Heavenly Father. But not long ago this story caught my attention and this thought was so sweet and encouraging to me.
Many times I’ve thought of the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus that was so often opened to the Lord Jesus and His disciples as a haven of rest, refreshment, friendship and encouragement. This family actively served the Lord and sought to meet His physical needs in their home, and I can’t help but think it might have been our Lord’s very favorite household haven and place to visit during His earthly ministry. What a privilege!
“Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” (John 12:1-3) It is apparent in scripture that this act of worship and sacrifice touched the heart of Jesus and He recognized the intention and desire behind it. But not only did this fragrance of her worship reach the Lord, the sweet smell also reached everyone in the house It’s incense filled their entire home. “...and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.”
If your life is centered around serving the Lord, no doubt there have been times when the devil whispered discouragement into your ear, as if your dedication and time spent serving God is taking away from your family. I am definitely not an advocate of having a 24/7 ministry at the church that keeps us absent from family. But I truly believe that my God-given ministry to my family is as important as every other avenue of ministry where I serve the Lord. I also believe that we, as couples and families, ought to serve the Lord together and find opportunities to work together in the ministry, which can only strengthen our relationships, drawing us closer to the Lord and each other.
But this thought greatly blesses my heart: that my prayers, that my service, that my worship of the Lord is a sweet-smelling fragrance that delights and pleases the Lord, and that wonderful fragrance is also a blessing that fills my home and has a positive and powerful effect on the atmosphere of our household.
I challenge you to open your home to Jesus, to His work and His servants, as Mary and Martha and Lazarus did. The sweetness of your service to God will permeate your home so that everyone in the house can enjoy it’s wonderful aroma. “...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
Well, I can see that I have added quite a bit to my to-do list! Our life’s work and crowning achievement is to love God and serve Him with heart and home. I know that I fall far short of the lofty goals I’ve described, but I still think that is the direction in which I should be headed.
Our friend, Evangelist Sam Gipp, often words his desire in pleasing the Lord something like this: “I want my life to bring a smile to the face of God.” I’ve adopted that little slogan in my heart, and I want to make the Lord smile, too, not just in what He sees in my life when I’m soulwinning on the street or singing His praises in the church -- but also in what He sees when He looks at my heart and my home.
