That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Titus 2:4-5
I know you
all probably think I gave up on this blog months ago, and to tell you the
truth, I thought I had as well.
You see, I was confused as to the next part in the Titus 2 Series. It was supposed to be on “Being keepers at home”. But the only thing I could figure out that it meant was that women shouldn't work outside the home, they should be at home schooling the children, women shouldn't be career minded, etc, etc. But the Lord has since shown me that for some women, it is necessary for them to work outside the home to provide for their children because the husband is absent. So that couldn't be what it meant. So I gave up, and decided I can't write about something I don't understand.
The Lord, in His graciousness, has opened my eyes, and shown me what being a keeper at home looks like for a stay at home daughter like me. And now I am happy to finally be able to share that with you all.
Home is not exactly a place. Home can be anywhere you place your heart. We all know the famous quote, “Home is where the heart is.” That statement holds more truth than people realize.
In Matthew 6:19-21, Christ, who is preaching the famous “sermon on the mount”, says, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Whatever you set your heart on, that will become your treasure. It will become your focus, your reason to live on during the hard times, and what spurs you on to greater things. For some people, it is money. Others, jobs. I am not implying by any means that money is bad, or that we shouldn't have jobs. We need to provide for our families and be responsible. But it should not be our focus.
I cannot think of a better illustration of this than in the life of my Dad. He recently switched to a new job, and is home much earlier than he was at his old job. He is usually home around 4-5 now, whereas he would get home around 7:30-9.
Now you have to understand something about my Daddy: he is the type of guy that could work at the same job all his life, and be fine with it. He doesn't like change. He had worked at his past job for a number of years, but it was an hour away. We had been praying for a while that the Lord would provide him a job closer to home, because we really missed him.
Here is the clincher; at his old job, my Dad had a prestigious position. Men looked up to him. He had his own cell phone. He had a desk, and his own forklift. It wasn't very strenuous job. But he didn't see much of his family, and everybody was suffering for it.
My Daddy left all that, trusting God had provided this job, and started working with chickens. Dirty, filthy, loud chickens. It is a very nasty job. More than I care to elaborate.
He had a really hard time this past weekend and actually had it all set up to go back to his old job. But God convicted him, and made him realize where his heart really lies. And my Daddy went back today, and worked with those foul (fowl) birds, because he realized that he wants his heart to be home. (If it sounds like I am bragging on him, or just a little proud, it is because I am!J)
But your heart can be drawn away by other things inside your home, whether it is the computer, novels, iPod, or phone. Satan can use any number of things to steal and draw our hearts away. Things that in essence aren't bad, but if they keep your heart away from what’s best, then for you, they are bad.
But it can go even deeper than that. “Little” sins you enjoy that you don’t think hurt anybody else, like fantasizing about situations or people, lust, plotting revenge, thinking angry or hateful thoughts toward someone, or worrying about things are sins that will affect you, and will steal your heart away from God and your family. Believe me, I have been there. I’m sorry if I am stepping on a few toes.
So, after all that I have observed and learned in the past couple of months, I have come to the conclusion that God is where the heart should be. Family is where the heart should be. Because God and our family are eternal, but nothing else is.
So what is a keeper? A keeper is a guard, caretaker, or a custodian of something or someone. That means that God is calling us to guard our homes, go beyond taking care of our man and children, but rather, help guard where their home is. God has placed in our hands a very tender, fragile, demanding, and tough at times, but yet it is very rewarding. Scripture says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” (3 John 4) I think that verse speaks for most parents.
The greatest lesson the Lord has taught me is, I cannot be a keeper at home, until I am a keeper of my heart.
Emily
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Lovely post - I really appreciate you sharing that : )
ReplyDeleteTwo thoughts - what a GREAT Dad you must have! To humble himself so he can love his family : )
Second - thanks for saying that some women HAVE to work outside the home. My dear Mother, of Blessed Memory, was Widowed - and when I was a child she received a lot of criticism and cruel comments from others about the fact that she had to work. Thanks for being supportive!