Making Ourselves at Home in This World
“In my Father’s house are many mansions:
if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.”
John 14:2
One day we will leave this world. We don’t know when our time will come, but it will come. Many of us have already had family and friends who have gone on before us, and many of us are waiting for the day that we can reunite with them. If we and our loved ones have accepted God’s Son, Jesus, as our Savior, God promises that we will spend eternity with Him in the place He has gone to prepare for us. Our eternal home will be in our Creator’s presence and that’s an awesome thought. But, right now, we are still here in our physical bodies on this earth. This world is our home. This is the place God created for us to live and thrive. This is where He meant for us to walk with Him in His garden. While Eternity may be around the corner, or still far way, we have a blessed opportunity to live life to its fullest while we are here. Let’s discuss some ways for making ourselves at home in this world.
Value the Breath of Life
Breathe. Sit down in a cozy chair in your home and take a deep breath, and then, simply thank God for it. It’s so easy to take the breath of life for granted. It happens so naturally. We breathe in. We breathe out. We give breathing little thought. But, without it, we’re done. Life stops.
Breath is life sustaining. In fact, it is a gift from God, and is actually his own breath we are breathing. Check out this verse about that:
“And the Lord God formed man
of the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
and man became a living soul.”
Genesis 2:7
Seeing someone suffer with breathing problems and struggle to get oxygen is so hard to watch. It has made me much more appreciative of my own ability to breathe.
I love taking a good deep breath on a crisp, cool morning and taking in the fresh air. Keeping ourselves healthy and able to breath well is an ongoing task, but it shows God we appreciate the breath of life and gives us the air we need to make ourselves at home here on earth.
Value the Blessings of Home
Having a home is a blessing not everyone gets to enjoy. It’s another thing we can often show little appreciation for. I’m so guilty. I’ve had the conveniences of my home so long I assume they will always be there, and everyone has them. When I start focusing on what isn’t done, or right, or is lacking, I grumble and fail to value the blessings right before me, like having AC and heat, a clean bed, a way to wash and dry laundry, a fridge for our food, comfy places to read and relax, a pantry with food in it, a place to bathe, running water, lighting, windows to let the sun in, nice items to decorate with and enjoy and, sometimes, a vase with fresh flowers.
Not showing gratitude for the roof over my head and the comforts I have is not making myself at home in my home. And, it shows that my values are not intact.
Value the Beauty of Creation
How easy is it to go through our day and miss how much God’s beautiful and bountiful creation makes it into our homes each day through sights, sounds, smells, touch and tastes? What a blessing it is to observe nature from our windows, like the sun’s rays, a light rain, or to hear birds singing, or smell the scent of flowers, or to get unconditional love from a house pet, and get to eat fresh food from the garden, or a hot dinner prepared with loving hands.
“Charge them that are rich in this world,
that they be not highminded,
nor trust in uncertain riches,
but in the living God,
who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;”
1Timothy 6:17
If we don’t overlook it, Creation can bring beauty and a valuable harvest into our home. Soak it in if you can.
Value the Boundaries of Protection
Sometimes boundaries can feel stifling. But, homes have walls, doors, gates, locks and limitations to keep us and our belongings safe. They keep good things in, and bad things out, and protect us inside—safe from storms, dangers, and predators. (Don’t forget snakes, spiders, some in-laws and mosquitos.) See, you can find value in everything. (Wink.)
Value the Benefit of Time
Life is short. Tragically, for some, it’s shorter than others. It’s full of struggles, heartaches, and sweet memories too. It’s full of good times and bad. But, no matter what we are all going through, or facing in our lives today, we all have one thing in common—the benefit of the time we’ve been given to live. It’s up to us to decide how well we’ll use it. Are we counting down our days or valuing our time and homes and making our days count? Are we realizing the full benefit of the time God has given us?
One day our lives as we know them will be over and the gift of the life we see in our mirrors will be no more. Let’s learn to live our lives to our fullest and value our lives more while making ourselves at home in this wonderful world our gracious Creator gave us richly to enjoy.
BRINGING IT HOME
Are you making yourself at home in this world the way God would want you to?
What do you value most in your home?
Growing With You,
Smiles, BRC