Setting the Atmosphere in the Home

As Homemaker's who wishes to bring glory and honor to God, an important step is to set the atmosphere in the home. As a Christian wife and mother I have the ability to make my own in such a way that either draws my family closer to God or pushes them away!

“The wife and mother in a family often ‘sets the tone’ in the home. The ‘tone’ God wants her to set is one of joy, optimism, and a delight in the Lord and in her family.” ~ Martha Peace, The Excellent Wife {Page 77}

Setting a Bad Atmosphere

We will never have perfectly clean houses with sparkeling kitchens, folded laundry in their drawers, and dinner hot and ready on the table every single night at 6am sharp. While there are good ways to manage our households, there will aslo be dirty dishes in the sink on some days and toys littering the ground on others. Dinner may not be ready at 6 o’clock and a pizza might be ordered...again.

But those things - the cooking, the cleaning, the superficial acts - shouldn't be the goal of our homemaking! Those things don’t mean you are failing at homemaking or not bringing glory to God. Cleanliness is not next to godliness.

You fail at homemaking and set an unglorifying atmosphere in your home by what is in your heart. You, as the wife and mother, set the tone in your house. Your husband and children would rather a happy and loving mother and wife and a messy house then a spotless house with a grumpy and nagging wife.

“It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.” ~ Proverbs 21:9 {ESV}

“The wife and mother who views life as a “cross to bear” influences the others in the home to think the same way. She easily robs everyone else of joy and like the yeast in the bread she bakes, her ungodly attitudes spread to everyone else.” ~ Martha Peace, The Excellent Wife {Page 77}

Steps to Creating an Atmosphere in Your Home That Glorifies God

Creating a God glorifying atmosphere starts with YOU. You can set the atmosphere and the tone in your house by what you do and how you react.

1) Make Your Home a Place of Rest

Make your house that place that your husband and children can't wait to come home too! Let your husband come home to a happy and cheerful wife - even if that means the dishes are not done yet!

2) Focus on the Gospel

You can glorify God by making your home a place where your family is constatnly surrouned by reminders of the Gospel and God. Here are a few practical ideas:

• Put on hymns of worship and praise when you are cleaning.
• Study God's word daily and let your children see this pattern develop in you.
• Invite your children to ask questions and participate in Bible reading and praise.
• Create places in your home that are quiet and restful that your family can retreat to to study God's word.
• Initiate family reading times when each family member reads quietly to themselves.
• As a couple and as a family make a habit of reading scripture and good books together.

Conduct yourself and your home in a way that your family is constantly thinking about God and how they can serve Him!

 

3) Cast Aside Pride and Be Motivated by Humility 

Homemaking can be a point of pride for many women. I know that when I enter someone’s beautiful house it’s easy to let envy and pride take over my heart. I think that decorating your house can be for God’s glory but it all depends on your heart attitude.

Be motivated by humility to serve those who come into your house rather than pridefully showing it off. Try and cultivate humility in your thoughts and actions and this will come out in your homemaking.

As a family decide what your priorites are and create an atmopshere that the whole family wants to come home to and find rest and peace in! 

Make your home a place that the Gospel can flourish. Your home should be a jumping off point for the Gospel. Teach your children how to share the Gospel, encourage your family to read scripture, minister to those who come into your house through Hospitality and you will be glorifying God in your homemaking.

In what ways do YOU set the tone and atmosphere in your home? Do you have any simple steps?