“House of Holiness”

“House of Holiness”

By Susanne Scheppmann

Key verse:

Psalm 93:5, Your statutes stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days, O Lord. (NIV)  

Devotion:

My husband, Mark, likes a clean house. Fortunately, for me, he also enjoys vacuuming.  We joke that our vacuum covers more miles per week than a NASCAR racer. The noise of suction vibrates throughout our home on a daily basis picking up small particles of food, dirt, dog hair and who knows what else.  

Now here is the weird part, most of the time I do not notice or can’t see what the vacuum collects off my floor, until I empty the vacuum bag.  Shock washes over me each time I replace the dusty bag of dirt. I realize all that appalling stuff snuck into my carpet uninvited.  

While my home stays clean from sundry floor dirt, keeping my home in a state of godly holiness requires daily diligence also.  Psalm 93:5 describes God’s house as, “holiness adorns your house for endless days.”  I believe our own homes should reflect holiness also, because God commands us, “ . . . be holy, because I am holy. . . (Leviticus 11:44 NIV).”   In addition, in the Old Testament the priests in God’s house were told, “You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean. . . (Leviticus 10:10 NIV).”  

Although, these verses apply within the Old Testament laws, we are called to be holy priests today. Twice in 1 Peter we are told we are a “holy priesthood.” So, I must ask myself, What is common or unholy in my home?   What has snuck into my life that God considers appalling in His sight?  

The way I determine if something needs to be removed from my home-life is by asking the following type of questions:

• Would my favorite outfit be modest enough to wear to the door to invite Him into my home? 
• If Jesus were sitting with me, would I read this book? 
• Could I invite Jesus to watch my favorite afternoon television show and watch it guilt free?  
• Would I want to share my popcorn with Him as I watched the latest video released?

  

Even though, our answers might differ to what we believe is appropriate for our own homes, we must be diligent to seek God’s heart on what spiritual housekeeping He desires in our lives.  For myself, a good guideline is found in  Philippians 4:8, “ Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things (NASB).”  These words from the Apostle Paul help me to determine what needs to stay and what needs to go in my home.   

An example of this type of decision applied recently in my own life.  I had watched a movie on TV that I enjoyed, so much I decided to purchase it.  However, when I began to watch the movie, the vulgarity of the language shocked me.  I realized the network television has edited the profanity from the movie.  It was not honorable, right, or pure or of good repute.  I discarded the movie into the trash.  Unknowingly, I had brought “spiritual dirt” into my home.  

Just as I clean my grimy floors frequently, I battle to keep my home godly. Now if you will excuse me, I hear my husband running the vacuum.  I believe I will go run a spiritual vacuum throughout the house, because I often bring home bits and pieces of things that God would not find pleasing to His eyes.  How about you?  Do you need to run a “spiritual vacuum” throughout your home?   

Prayer: 

Lord God, reveal to me anything in my home that would not be pleasing to You.  Help me to discard books, movies, or any other type of entertainment that I would not be proud to share with You.  

Application steps:  

Change your vacuum bag.  Examine the junk that accumulates inside it.  Then walk through your home with your eyes open to discover what “spiritual housekeeping” you might need to accomplish today.  Ask God to open your eyes and mind to items that He might not find pleasing.

Refection points:       

What areas of my home need a spiritual remodeling?

Does my clothing model Christian modesty?

Does my personal entertainment reflect I serve a Holy God? 

Power verses:

Leviticus 11:44, “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves about on the ground.” (NIV)  

Leviticus 10:10-11, “And so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean, and so as to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them through Moses." (NASB)  

Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” (NIV)  

© 2005 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.