30-Day TRUE WOMAN Make-Over Day 8

Today's topic is "WHAT DOES YOUR HOME COMMUNICATE?"

Today's verse is Proverbs 31:8: "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute."

Communication is the key! Speaking, listening and a lot of both is all a part of communicating. But did you know that your home can also communicate. Not all of us have the wonderful gift of hospitality, but our homes should be welcoming, and people should sense the love & spirit of God as they enter. Just having a 'welcome mat' (as pictured) at your door, does not mean your home is welcoming. When your home is tidy, organized, clean, sweet smelling, and basically in order, people see that you care. However, there are times that dusting, vacuuming, etc take the 2nd seat to your family. It's been said that the dust will always be there, but family will not. Children grow up, and move out, and then you wonder if you should have spent more time with them, rather than dusting and cleaning house.

However, God wants us to 'clean house' spiritually and physically. Our home is pretty welcoming, and I would hope that it welcomes people in, and that they experience the love, spirit and presence of God when they enter... yet, sometimes I let 'piles' accumulate, and they take over my steps, my dining room table, etc... I have learned to just 'put it here for now', and then try to move it eventually into it's rightful spot. My husband is very helpful and does indeed help out a lot with household chores, yet we like to clean areas of our home that we know people will be seeing. We move the 'mess' from those rooms, and put them into other rooms upstairs or in the basement, so that they cannot be seen. God wants our homes to be like our hearts, and he wants it clear of 'garbage'. We cannot just clean up what we think people can see... we need to clean it all. Soon, on my holidays I hope to get a tackle on some of MY mess... as it has overtaken a few rooms in our home. I have clothes, shoes, papers, books, children's ministry stuff, ECE teaching stuff, stamping/craft stuff, and more to go through in several parts of our home. Our spare bedroom was getting cleaned up months & years ago, so that we could make it more 'inviting' for someone to visit us and stay over, or for a youth who needed to 'get away from it all'. However, now the bed frame is covered, and I mean covered with 'junk'... some good, some who know's. I know that God is desiring my husband & I to get to a place spiritually and physically where we are ready and prepared for what He has in store for us in our future... and in obedience I have to get at it... and 'get er done'! Later in Proverbs 31:27 we read, "She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. " Idleness is basically laziness, and I don't want to be seen as the 'lazy' by the Father. We are studying Matthew 25 and the parable of the talents in Sunday School, and in the historical event, Jesus (the Master) has given talents to 3 of his servants. The first servant was give 5 talents, and while the master was gone had doubled the amount, and the master was pleased, and congratulated his 'good and faithful servant'. The 2nd servant was give two talents, and while the master was gone he had also doubled his amount, and again the master congratulated him, and said "Well done thy good and faithful servant". However the 3rd servant was only given one talent, and he buried it, and when the master returned, he gave it to him. "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant!" Matthew 25:26 NIV I don't know about you, but I would rather be seen as 'faithful' than 'lazy'! This encourages me to get moving... and I try to do little bits here and there, but know that I need to focus on cleaning my physical home, just the same as I do with my spiritual home of my heart. We can't just suffice spiritually with 'little bits here and there'. The Word also says that "If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks." Ecclesiastes 10:18 NIV I want our home to leak with the love and presence of Jesus!



Our home speaks volumes, same as our actions speak volumes... our verse today says, "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute." This verse first makes me think of child sponsorship programs like COMPASSION CANADA (or COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL for those of you who are not Canadian.) My husband and I became Child Advocates, who are those who speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. We have only been involved in the actual sponsorship of ONE child... sometimes that again I feel really bad for, but I don't press in with that as I should either. It also makes me think of the children and the people whom I met and saw when I travelled to Rwanda, Africa last September on a mission trip. The 'destitute' of the world do need us. They do need us to speak for them. By definition (according to Dictionary.com), the word 'destitute' means:
–adjective

1.without means of subsistence; lacking food, clothing, and shelter.
2.deprived of, devoid of, or lacking (often fol. by of): destitute of children.

So actually 'destitute' ones are those who are lacking something... it doesn't just have to be 3rd World children who are lacking food, clothing and shelter. We have people here in Canada, & in our own communities (wherever you live) who are lacking... they may lack food, clothing, shelter, love, family, jobs, peace, &/or  most importantly (and unfortunately) there are those that lack (or their life is void of) God and His Spirit. We need to speak up for those who cannot, will not, & do not speak up for themselves. This also goes along with today's theme, 'What Does Your Home Communicate?" because our home, and our hearts should communicate to others that we care for them, and truly love them. Jesus told his disciples, and us as believers today, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35 NIV)

MAY YOU BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!