Keeping God Head of Our Homes, The Letter G

I really do believe it makes a huge difference when we place God at the head and not the end of our homes that it brings about a peace and calm we couldn't bring in ourselves. Well, at least I can't as it seems my life has been in chaos for years and yet, God always shows me He is in charge. Now, I let Him be the head and go about my business as usual.

Yesterday after I posted about the death of our dear friend Arnold Honey, I called to check on his wife Shirley who is just as amazing and special. Shirley was resting at the time and I didn't want to disturb her, but what struck me was in talking to their daughter Kelly and telling her the kids wanted to know if grandpa was in heaven. Kelly told me without prompting that her dad had recently made peace with God and once Kelly had said that, I noticed the pain in her voice went away, the near tears were gone.

If we keep God center and head in our home, we will ensure a welcome environment. It is when we falter or forget His teachings that things take a turn for the worse. I believe in a clean home and I do my best to keep my home clean and neat, but I am not obsessive about it. You can come over most days and find dishes in the sink, fabric or quilts laying around and my kitchen floor is virtually impossible to clean, but overall, the house is clean.

I believe in two things: 1- Cleanliness IS next to Godliness & 2-We need to be responsible for the gifts that God has given to us and take care of them.

We went to a friends the other day to do some crafts and their home whenever I have been in it has never been clean. From the minute you walk in, you smell dog urine (it doesn't bother them to allow their dog to pee and poop in the house and to leave it), there are piles and piles of things all over, everywhere and each time I hear the same thing. Their home has to many people in it, to much stuff, etc. There are 6 of them.

I lived with friends for over 6 months and our home would get messy, but it never smelled and it was always clean. If you allow yourself to make excuses for your home and the way it looks, then you are not allowing God to be the head of the house and you are not taking care of what He gave you.

My husband is in a business where he is in peoples homes and in the last week he was in one that was so filthy and dirty it was completely covered in roaches, the piece of equipment he needed to replace, when he opened it was packed with roaches and roach eggs. I gagged and I wasn't even there. Yesterday he was in a home that was filthy and the woman told him, to excuse the mess they were moving. He told me, the mess had nothing to do with the move.

The bible tells us in John 14:5, 'I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me for where I am, there you will be also.' To me, that is pretty powerful stuff. My God in heaven wants me to be with Him, He is preparing a place for me and no, I may not have to clean house, but then again, we don't know do we?

The Bible tells us about not only outwardly cleanliness, but inwardly cleanliness and we need to follow what God would want in our lives and homes.

After all, what is the Bible? It is not only Gods word, but isn't it truly, Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth? Isn't that why we are on earth to learn and to follow God?

I am NOT saying we have to kill ourselves cleaning, not at all, but what I am saying is that by placing God in front and at the head of our home, we are to make it a welcoming place for others.

I have been quilting the last few days and there is fabric all over my living room, it is the nature of the beast. But before I start quilting, I ensure my bed is made, my floors are swept and the dishes are done. Notice I didn't say I made sure my walls were clean, the dusting was complete, the bathrooms were scrubbed, etc.. No, I just ensure should a neighbor stop by to visit or someone from church, my house is presentable to them and before the Lord.

If little messes seem to bring you down and you seem to have the same messes over and over again, pick up some plastic bins and contain the messes. We use bins in our home for everything:
crayons, cotton balls, Q-tips, markers, pencils, blankets, hair ties, bows, wrapping paper, etc. and it helps.

No extra room? Use the space under the beds to neatly stack low profile bins. Use the attic, hang things that can be hung. Our home is very small, my china hutch doesn't have a lick of china in it, it has my cookie jar collection and other items I don't want broken. The drawers hold large platters and bowls and sewing items. My sewing closet is for sewing supplies but at the top it holds motorcycle helmets, school supplies and other things we don't use everyday. I have 2 hooks for my aprons because there is no drawer space and closet space is precious little.

I use stacking bins for craft supplies, I use under shelf baskets in my laundry room and kids closets, any place where I can make extra room in this house I do. I also have learned to throw things out when they come in. Junk mail, immediately goes in the trash, old clothes get sent to younger family members or given to charity, broken items get tossed unless they can be repaired, gloves/hats/scarves all go in a small cabinet that my telephone sits on.

Clutter makes my mind cluttered. If I walk into a store that is so cluttered you can't move (trust me, there are several in my area) I turn around and walk out. What purpose does it serve the customers to walk in and try to find something among piles and piles of junk?

So today, Gods day, Sunday or tomorrow when you are walking through your home, look around and ask yourself, does my home really show that God is the head? Does my home make people welcome or make people want to run?

If God is the head of your home and not the tail, your home will always ensure a welcome environment to all who enter.