In My House: The Importance of Your Private Life

Psalm 101 has what would be my year's verse if I were choosing one. Guess I just did? Verse two says, "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." 

Behaving myself wisely seems like a dream most days. So often I choose foolish over wise. I choose to not restrain myself. I choose to not make the decisions that would better my life and the lives of those around me. 

As relevant as the first part is, the last part of the verse is what I want to focus on. "I will walk within my house with a perfect heart." 

It's easy to put my best effort into my public life. My life at the doctor's office or the library or co-op. My life at church or anywhere that other people see me and may be trying to form an opinion of me. Yes, I can dress that up and call it guarding my testimony but you know what it is in my life? Pride! All I'm concerned about in those situations is how I look or what others think of me. I'm not concerned with what they are thinking of Jesus. 

But the life here in my house that no one else sees? That's real. I want it to honor God. If I focus on living my private life to honor God then my public life will take care of itself. My public life will come from love for Jesus and character. It will formed deep down inside me and not be a big show. 

I was listening to a sermon podcast (I'm really not always listening to a podcast) one morning while I fixed breakfast and a missionary said that the tabernacle got more beautiful the farther into it you went. The outside that was displayed to others wasn't the most beautiful part. That seems backward to me but it makes sense to God. He kept the most beautiful part for Himself.  

That's how I want my life to be. I want to be more gracious, more loving, more holy the deeper into my life you go. This means the deepest part of me, where no one else sees, needs to honor God. My thoughts, my dreams, my desires. That means even my words to myself need to honor God. 

That means the way I treat myself needs to honor God. My body language, my care for my body, how I dress should all reflect God. That means the way I use my time and how I develop my talents and skills needs to honor God. That means it's just as wrong to call myself names as it would be to call someone else names. 

That means the way I treat my husband needs to honor God and reflect His beauty. Marriage is a picture of Christ and the church. Surely we would all admit that our marriages matter?

That means the way I treat my children needs to honor God. How I love and train and discipline them. What tone of voice I use and the words I choose. The facial expressions and the actions. The way I spend my time with them. All of these things that no one else sees should honor Christ. 

That means the way I care for my home and do my work needs to honor Him. Whether it's washing the dishes, folding laundry, or cooking dinner. Whether it's writing or piano or learning a song for church. Whatever it is. 

Then of course the circle keeps expanding- church, friends, doctors, acquaintances, Justin's colleagues, facebook friends, blog readers. It's easy to act in front of those people and be something I'm not. But here in my head? I can't fool myself. I have to let God change me. Here with my husband? I can only fake that so long. I have to surrender to Jesus. 

I want to walk here in my home where I am now with a perfect heart: a heart focused on pleasing Jesus.