This weekend, I had the blessing & honor to attend The Refuge in Concord. Many of you know it's been a struggle for me to find a church home since leaving Crossroads. I have attended a few that began to feel like home, but the "it" factor was never fully there. I've visited a few churches the past few months, but had honestly almost decided to give it up. Thanks to the encouragement and invitation of a dear friend, I prayerfully decided that it was time to venture back into a church and hope that it might feel like "home".
My prayers were that the Lord would allow me to look beyond all the bells & whistles that The Refuge so powerfully presents. I've heard their worship leader sing before; own their worship cd, so I knew I wouldn't be distracted by the music. I didn't want to focus in on my friend who is a part of the worship team; I've heard him play before and can again if we choose. I didn't want the lighting, the marketing materials, the coffee shop, the people, the ANYTHING to get in the way of ME PERSONALLY HEARING FROM GOD. My prayers were fervent on Saturday, and He answered them powerfully. (YAYYY God!)
Pastor Jay Stewart began a new series called "Modern Family", Vital Signs of a Healthy New Testament Family. He encouraged each of us to take a look at the pulse of our homes:
P = Prayer & Worship
U = Unity
L = Laughter
S = Stewardship
E - Excellence
I wanted to take a few moments to focus on the one that made the most impact on me. P = Prayer & Worship: Jay's point that the atmosphere of our homes can determine our relationship with Jesus was very impactful. Referencing Leviticus 14:33-45, he said that there could be things in our homes that defile our relationshp with God. OUCH!! That's scary! I was led to question myself, "Father, are there things in my house, whether I'm aware of them or not, that are contrary to Your Word and that are hindering my walk with you?" Jay began to ask questions about the things in our homes - pornography, movies with scenes that aren't edifying, too much tv, songs playing in our iPods, computer games, distractions that keep us from spending time with Him - that we should get rid of.
Then, he knocked me out of the water! He directly addressed the singles in the audience by asking: "Are there trinkets in your home from past relationships? Things you just hold on to in order to keep the memory alive when you see it?" WOW! Talk about immediately being hit by the Holy Spirit! My mind focused on the box in the storage unit. It's probably about 10 years old now, but it holds all the memories from a relationship with a wonderful man I'll call Aaron, though that's not his real name. It holds emails - tons of emails - that we used to write back and forth to one another. Poetry. Gifts. Cards. My first teddy bear from a guy. All those promises we made to one another. They're all in there. (I guess I should let you know that Aaron's married now and has 4 kids! I bless and honor him and the life he's made as a minister and in seeking to open an orphanage with his wife.) But that box remains....at least it did until yesterday. Lord, forgive me for allowing past memories to hinder my running after you with all my heart. Grant me wisdom and discernment to see any other things that should be thrown away.
In order for my home to be a house of prayer, a place where people can enter and know that the presence of the Lord is there, I must be vigilent to eliminate anything that can keep me from serving Him effectively and with excellence. As Jay said, Atmosphere + Climate = Culture, and I want the culture of my home to be one of peace, love, and joy. In fact, I want the Fruit of the Spirit to be ever-present.
U = Unity: Only the Holy Spirit can produce Unity in our homes and in our relationships, our friendshps and our marriages. He made a super point that "unity is not conformity, but it is reflective of the heart of God." The people who enter my life, my home, my career, my church and I will never been conformed to one another on each and every point of discussion - I even let Duke fans walk in (but I do spray some holy water on them). If we were, what a boring life we'd all lead. But, we can choose to live in unity with one another, as far as it is possible for us.
L = Laughter : We must constantly search for joy; we should seek it. As a worry addict, I admit I struggle with this one regularly. (I feel like I should walk into a WA meeting and say, "Hi, I'm Kara, and I'm a worry addict!) Worry feels like it will strangle us from enjoying anything in life, if we constantly let it take control of our thoughts and our emotions. It forces us to take our eyes of Him and focus on the wrong things. If the father of all lies has a plan to kill, steal, and destroy, then one of his most effective weapons is worry. I've seen it in my life and in the lives of many of the people I love.
S = Stewardship: Am I a good steward of all the blessings and gifts the Lord has given me? Ok, confession time....NO, I am not. Modern, healthy, NT homes have 4 key hallmarks, according to Pastor Jay.
1. Tithing....do I regularly tithe? No, I truly don't. No excuses; I just don't do it. Do I believe I should? Most definitely. (Add that to the choice to be obedient list.)
2. Budget...do I work off a monthly budget? Nope, I don't. Ok, conviction is beginning to set in here.
3. Has plan to eliminate debt....well, I'm a little better off in this area, because I don't have a lot. I own my own home and car; make enough each month to just scrape by. (Though this changes in September as y'all know...may need to revisit this idea soon!)
4. Lives Missionally....do I give to others? YES! Ok, whew...feeling a wee bit better now. POWERFUL ideas to think about in the areas of stewarding our lives.
E = Excellence: Does my spiritual life reflect a desire to demonstrate excellence for Him? Every day, no. Sometimes, yes. Most of the time, I hope so. In all areas: devotions, prayer, worship, soaking, writing...are all the things I do for Him done with excellence? Great question to focus on for each of us. Doing things with excellence creates an atmosphere for the Holy Spirit to move in our homes. My desire is to represent Him with excellence in ALL things.
A lot to think on...a lot to be challenged by, thank You Abba Daddy! As you take your spiritual pulse, are there areas of your life that could be healthier? I invite you to join me on this path toward becoming a Modern (Healthy) Family!
Buckets of Blessings,
Kara
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