31 Days to Bless Your Home, and How to Have Fun Doing It Too!
Week 1: The Spirit of the Home: Creating an Atmosphere Where the Fruit of the Spirit Abounds
Day 5: A Dose of Humility Goes a Long Way
Welcome to our final day of week 1 in our fall home challenge! We will finish each week on Sunday with a short Bible study that relates to the theme of the week. Today we will study a little known story in the Bible and learn how to apply a profound principle from it in our homes that will resolve conflict and strengthen relationships.
One of the most difficult lessons I have learned in life is that it really isn’t all about me. As infants and toddlers, our world revolves around our own needs and wants and getting them filled. As we mature, the process gravitates toward recognizing the needs and wants of others. However, that natural selfish tendency never really goes away. We often feel a tug-of-war of sorts between looking out for our own interests and trying to be genuinely happy for the good fortune of others.
As we are learning to recognize and develop the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives and in our homes, a close cousin that is related to the Fruit is humility. When we learn to love others unselfishly and become content playing second fiddle to someone else, we have made great strides in yielding to the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. The more we allow His Spirit to rule in our hearts, the more we will see His Fruit abound in our lives and in our homes.
In today’s Bible study, we will read about a sister who had a difficult time humbly accepting God’s great work through her brother. She became jealous and prideful, and began criticizing him. The consequences were embarrassing! Read Numbers12:1-16.
You see, Miriam felt that she should have had as much recognition and importance as her brother, Moses. Instead of supporting him and cheering him on, she began to fixate on herself. As a result, God allowed her to experience just enough of His wrath to change her heart and to help her develop humility.
Isn’t that what we do sometimes too? When we see someone filling an important leadership role in the church or at work, for example, our knee jerk reaction is often to feel threatened by them. Instead of supporting them, we might feel sorry for ourselves instead, and then begin to resent our brothers and sisters or coworkers.
As we bring the emphasis back to our homes, I see pride and selfishness as a horrid root that sprouts into conflict and resentment within families. If we could take this powerful concept of humility, of preferring one another over ourselves, of being genuinely happy for and supportive of each other, or denying ourselves for the good of each other, imagine how the atmosphere in our homes would be transformed!
Zig Ziglar says, “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”
That quote is often misunderstood. He is not talking about doing for others so that we will get something in return. Rather, he intends to communicate the message that if we focus on the good of others instead of ourselves, our own needs will get met in the process. His message is intended to be quite unselfish and humble, fulfilling today’s Scripture above.
Unfortunately, we often become hurt or jaded when someone lets us down, and we build a self-defensive attitude that tells us that if we don’t look after ourselves, no one else ever will. We can become closed off from the needs of others and focus only on ourselves. It becomes “What’s in it for me? What about what I want?” However, the end result is not in our needs being fulfilled, but rather, this attitude causes loneliness and friction with others. It causes arguing and fighting in our homes and churches.
As Christians, we have probably been taught to be unselfish our entire lives. We often volunteer to serve, or we give away money, clothes, or home goods to the needy. However, we may not recognize that often our focus continues to be a cynical bubble that criticizes the opinions and habits of others while secretly believing that our own preferences and ways of doing things are far superior to those of others.
Ephesians 5:21 gives us simple yet profound advice for living humbly with others: “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
Submitting to others is not about doing whatever someone else tells us to do, but it is about placing someone else’s agenda and preferences above our own. For example, when the guitarist in the band likes a certain song, but the bassist likes another song better, they back off from insisting on their own way and willingly learn each other’s songs with joy. Or, if one couple wants a western theme for VBS, but another couple prefers a space theme, they praise each other’s ideas and find a compromise instead of arguing about it.
Let’s bring it a little closer to home. When my husband asked me to cook chili dogs so he can watch some Tennessee football this afternoon, I didn’t whine about what I wanted. I understand how much he loves hot dogs and football, and I happily obliged. When I want Chinese food, but he is craving Italian, he gladly takes me to Great Wall for some Chinese food. When Natalie wants to play tennis, but her boyfriend wants to relax and watch baseball, they usually find a way to do both instead of bickering about it. It is not about “me” all the time, but it is about taking care of and preferring each other.
When my children were young, I often used the verse in Ephesians when they argued about wanting to play a certain game. They would take turns doing what the other wanted, and did it with a smile. This was their first introduction to humility and submission.
This same concept applies to cheering for each other as well. When one child wins a soccer trophy, for example, or the other wins dance medals, the others are not allowed to pout or complain. Rather, we intentionally make an effort to praise each other and celebrate each other’s accomplishments. To react with jealously is a prideful attitude that says that the good thing should only happen to “me.” Humility causes us to be happy for others without lamenting for ourselves.
Week One Challenge: Read Galatians 5:22-23 and prayerfully reflect on ways you see the Fruit of the Spirit thriving in your home and areas in which God would lead your family to grow. Write in a journal throughout the week ideas that the Holy Spirit puts on your heart. Pray for each member of your family.
Today’s Challenge: Write an encouraging note to praise someone in your home.
Tomorrow, we begin week 2 of our fall home challenge, “The Sensual Home: Learning to Use All Five Senses to Create Beauty and Warmth in Our Homes.” We will begin with the sense of smell and learn how to use fragrance to enhance an atmosphere that is relaxing, inviting, and irresistible. This is my favorite week, and you will LOVE tomorrow’s challenge!
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Thank you and God bless!
Shari Lewis
