The far-reaching effect a home can have

As I prepare for my children to get home from school, I reflect on what they are coming home to. Have I worked today to make my home the safe haven that it should be for them?

It's 2:00 in the afternoon. The house is still and quiet. I am sitting at the kitchen table enjoying a cup of coffee in the last few minutes of silence.

In 20 minutes, the school children will come bursting through the door and the house will be filled with noise and activity once again.

And I know what to expect: some of the children will be excited to tell me about their day, all talking at the same time; some will want to show me what they have made at school; there's the one child who will slip quietly away to play his favorite game on the computer; very likely there may be some quarreling or tears. And of course they will all be hungry!

Using my time right

As I prepare a snack for them, I think about what my task is as a mother. I feel the pressure of trying to meet all the various needs of my family and I realize that I cannot do it by my own strength. I need help from God, and I find that help in God's Word.

What have I used my time for during the day? Have I allowed my thoughts to roam aimlessly around, thinking about myself and what I want to accomplish today, or possibly even comparing my family, my home and my situation to that of another? Or, on the contrary, have I sensed my great need for God's help to be finished with self-centered thoughts so that I can learn to truly serve the others happily and without reservation? Have I used my time to pray for the children so they can resist any negative influences they may face at school? Have I built myself up in faith during the day so that when the children rush through the door after school they sense that home is a safe haven, filled with goodness and hope and love?

In Proverbs 31:27 it is written about a virtuous woman, that “she watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.”

An oasis in a dry desert

I see the tremendous task God has given me, and I must not take it lightly. If I eat the bread of idleness, I will have no nourishment for my children and others I have to do with, and it is damaging to them and to the generations to come. On the other hand, if I draw near to God, and fill myself with His Word, He will give me strength to overcome my selfishness, and I can actually bring a blessing over my children. Home can be like an oasis in a dry desert for them!

So I can look forward to 2:20 in the afternoon, because I have hope in my heart and I am armed with God's Word. Thus, sounds of life and happiness and victory can resound in my home!