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Remodel Your Home in Christ: Construction

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There has never been a more pressing time than now for us to create a Christ-centered home!  Your home has so much potential to do good and bless the lives of all who live within its walls!  Parents and children alike!  Never underestimate the power of family!  Creating a Christ-centered home is your greatest defense against the evils of this world.  

Families are ordained of God.  You know family is important.  You know the only way to create a strong, unified family is to help them focus on Christ.  But how?  Where do you begin?

Over the next several posts, if you’ll stick with me, I want to walk you through what I like to think of as “Remodeling Your Home”.  Let’s take the framework you already have in place, and tweak it so that it’s functioning at 110%!

Warning: This is going to take effort on your part!  You’ll need to do the work prayerfully to make your home the beautiful masterpiece God intends for it to be!

Just so you have an idea where we’re headed…Here’s the line up!

Remodel Your Home Part 3: Construction

Now that you have your blueprint and a rock solid foundation, let’s get started on constructing your home.

In order for your foundation to serve you well, remember that your home must be anchored to its foundation!

Anchor Your Home to the Foundation, Who is Jesus Christ

If your home is not anchored to its foundation, then the foundation will not serve its purpose! Your home will easily be swept away with the first cyclone it encounters!

So how do you make sure your home is anchored to its foundation? I’m talking in the spiritual sense here. If Christ is our foundation, how can you build your home so that it is securely fastened to Jesus Christ?

The scriptures teach us that when you live the gospel of Jesus Christ, you build on His foundation.

So the question is, what are you doing in your home to live the gospel of Jesus Christ? How do you actively choose to follow the teachings of the Savior?

I want to share with you a verse that gives crystal clear instruction and guidance for how you are to build your home. I know it is not found in the Bible, but the wisdom from this verse it just too good to not share! And the principles from this verse certainly are Biblical!

“Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.” D&C 88:119

Organize Yourselves

Your God is a God of order. Doesn’t it make sense that your home should be organized? Think about how it feels when you attend an activity that is well-organized versus one that is not! Now imagine your home!

What systems do you have in place that help your family stay organized?

I’ll list some ideas!

  • A family calendar/ weekly schedule
  • Meal calendar/ Menu
  • Chore chart and cleaning routine
  • Morning/after school/ night time routines
  • Establish Family rules

A House of Prayer

Teach your children to pray. How? You must pray. Pray by yourself. Pray with your spouse. Pray with your family.

Prayer is how you communicate with your Heavenly Father. He wants us to pray and to talk to Him. When you regularly pray, you will be protected from the temptations of this world. You will receive more light and understanding from His divine guidance.

If you’re not sure how to pray or how to teach your children to pray, study the Lord’s prayer for guidance. It will teach you both the order of prayer and also what to pray for. See Matthew 6: 9-13

A House of Faith

I strongly believe that the very purpose of this life is to learn to walk by faith. Your home is the best place for you and your children to learn, grow, and exercise faith in Jesus Christ.

Faith is Action

Faith is more than belief. It is action. When you have faith, you’re willing to follow in the Savior’s foot steps!

What can you do in your home to increase faith?

Pray

Did you know you can actually pray and ask for increased faith?! How simple is that? The key is to ask with real intent and a true desire to act. It is only through actively following the teachings of Christ that faith will be increased.

Study the Scriptures

Hearing the word of God in your home should be the norm! Get familiar with the Bible yourself! Read passages and stories together as a family daily.

I know daily Bible study might sound and feel overwhelming. Learning about Christ, hearing His word, and speaking of Him in your home is the surest way to increase faith!

I truly believe that when you strive to learn and obey the word of God, He helps you teach and guide your children. This is how your home becomes a “refuge from the storm” of life!

Serve Others

Can you really learn faith unless you strive to live each day as the Savior would? He walked about doing good and helping all who needed Him.

Just think how your home would change if your family regularly practiced service! I imagine less sibling rivalry, more kindness, and more understanding of others.

How would your home be different if each day you prayed for an opportunity to serve someone? (and then acted on that opportunity when it came!). You will set the example and you’ll find that your children will be more than eager to follow!

A House of Learning

God wants your home to be a House of Learning!

I feel a bit redundant, but these principles are just so connected! God wants you to teach your children the gospel. “Come…learn of me…and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29.

He also wants you to instill a lifelong love of learning within the hearts of your children. There is so much to learn! Knowledge gives us truth and light. Of course we all want that! The more you learn about the world, the more it testifies of the divinity and reality of your God.

How do You Cultivate Life-Long Learning in Your Home?

  • Learn and teach age-appropriate life skills
  • Read daily…for fun! (You, too momma!)
  • Encourage your child’s effort!
  • Practice learning by doing
  • Learn by faith

A House of Glory

Praise and worship God in your home.

Singing hymns and praying together brings the spirit of God into your home.

Your home is a sacred and reverent place. Together as a family it is a place designed for you to cultivate respect for one another and reverence for God.

A House of Order

Order. What comes to mind when you hear that word?

Organized. Clean. Respect. Boundaries. This is how I imagine a house of order.

Order is the opposite of chaos! If you haven’t already, create a system that allows you to see your family’s schedule, menu for the week, and a chore chart to delegate cleaning tasks.

Make sure your morning, after-school, evening, and weekend routines are crystal clear and displayed.

The day just feels so much smoother when the kitchen is clean, you know what’s for dinner, and your kids learn to independently get themselves ready for school each morning! These are just some examples of order in your home!

Teach your children boundaries and discipline with love and respect. Remember that discipline is training that corrects, molds, or perfects. It is very different from punishment.

Another aspect of order that is often overlooked…

Make it a priority to clearly establish your Family Rules. Keep them displayed front and center! Your family rules can even be as simple as just a word!

For example, our family Rules are:

  1. Kindness
  2. Respect
  3. Obey
Consider two or three values you want to embody your home.

I want my children to show kindness in their words and actions. I expect respectful words, tones, and body language from each member in my family. Obedience is the first law of heaven, so I certainly want my children to learn to obey for both their physical and spiritual safety.

Hold a family meeting and decide together as a family what kind of home you want to live in. Decide together what qualities you want for your home and what consequences should be for violating your family values.

Whatever your family rules are, be sure to set clear expectations and consequences for breaking family rules!! God’s house is NOT a house of confusion!

A House of God

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:26

Your home is like a temple, a piece of Heaven. Treat it with the same reverence you would treat a house of the Lord. Don’t let anything in that would take away from its holiness and purity. Make your home a refuge and haven from the chaos of this world.

The Home is a sacred place, as is the Temple.  Ensure it is kept sacred.

What can you do to transform your home to a house of God?

Only you can answer this question! I know, I know! I say that a LOT!

Maybe start by imagining how you would feel inside the Lord’s holy house.

  • Would it be loud?
  • How would disagreements be handled?
  • How would you talk to each other?
  • What kind of music or movies would play in your home?

When you see your home as a sacred place, you allow the God’s Holy Spirit to be there. In time, you’ll begin to see each member of the family through the Savior’s eyes. A house of God is a house of love.

Your home can be a piece of Heaven on earth!

Be consistent and stay the course! This life is a marathon, not a sprint!

When you’re ready, move on to Part 4: Declutter!