In its most basic form, a house is a shelter. Its sturdy walls and impermeable roof supply the boundaries of refuge from the elements. It is a place of warmth, protection, solace and rest. It is carefully constructed to have its imprint on the landscape for generations. They are planned, drawn, constructed, regulated, bought and settled. They are an investment of time and money. Most of us will never possess anything of greater monetary value. For this reason, they are insured, cared for and protected. As the house goes, so should the home.
A home is less about the place and more about the people in it. Whether those that reside there are biologically familial or woven together by life’s circumstances, they still stand together. They are united in the place where they seek refuge from the world at large. Some days it’s a battle and others are a breeze, but at the end of each day, the home is the place that is sought after. While a house can be imagined, drawn and constructed, often very little planning or purpose is put into making the house a home. Once shelter is achieved what are we doing to provide a barrier to those worldly elements? Our homes can be places of refuge, or they can be a continuation of the storm.
For the sake of all its residents, the home needs to be a place of escape and protection. In the ideal setting God laid the plans for the home. Time and effort need to be made to follow the plan and protect what is so valuable to us. It is the husband that should make sure that his bride is safe and secure (Eph. 5:25; Col. 3:19; 1 Pet. 3:7). Both husband and wife are to treat each other with respect and mutual care (Eph. 5:21-22; Luke 6:31). In doing this, husband and wife are examples of a more excellent way (1 Cor. 12:31b; 13:4-7). Children are to be raised, not just kept alive. This responsibility was laid at the feet of the father (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21). It is he that should keep the monsters at bay and be a safeguard from the world until the time comes that the children are trained to fight their own monsters and stand in the dark of the world outside.
Like many before us, we have made mistakes. Things happened outside of our control that throw our home into disarray and chaos. Everything is not ideal, but nothing is impossible. A home is rebuilt much like a house ravaged by a storm or destruction—brick by brick and one nail at a time. Things can be mended. It will take time, great effort and a change of habits. What are we doing to insure it against trouble? Houses come in all shapes and sizes, but a home, with Christ as the foundation, is a mighty fortress. What are we doing to maintain our homes as much as we do our houses? Is our home a refuge? What habits can I change to secure what is lacking in the home?