Of all the utensils and spaces we keep in our home, is there a precious and specific accessory above the rest for me?And neither is the coffee machine, which approaches the second.
Interestingly, this is our very worn-out front door. Although it’s just a standard front door, this piece of solid wood is at the top of the list.
- As a housewife with three growing children.
- Who are also passionate about ministering to students and others outside the home.
- I find myself in a constant tension between the ministry inside and outside the house.
- In What is a family? Edith Schaeffer.
- A woman familiar with this tension.
- Described the family as a swinging door and a lock.
The hinges must be well lubricated to open the door for certain periods, but the lock must be firm enough for people to know that the family must be alone part of the time, just to be family. there must be something to share.
As believers in Christ, we aspire to make Christ Himself the fiery center of everything we do. Sometimes it’s like closing the door and focusing on the eternally significant (but often intangible and boring) ministry that takes place inside, under our own roof.
At other times, will having Christ at the center be like closing the door behind us to perform meaningful ministry outside the house?For example, a work project, a coffee meeting with a soul in distress, or a Bible study. in our experience), it seems that the door opens to invite us abroad.
We live in a controversial society that likes to separate things and place them at opposite poles, just look at fifteen minutes of any political coverage. By living in a society like ours, we may be tempted to confront ministry within the home against ministry outside the home, pitting them against each other and even competing with each other.
In an ideal world, would ministry inside and outside the home work together in symbiosis?The ministry inside the house would overflow into the ministry outside the house, which in turn would feed and strengthen the ministry within the house. However, we all experience a gap between ideal and real. We live in an imperfect world and among imperfect souls (including our own). Life is not always simple, but we must strive to maintain the centrality of Christ.
The Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of the Interior do not have to disagree, but both must be planned. Trying to be everything to everyone at the same time often leads to being nothing to anyone. If we try to balance the two groups of people perfectly and equally, both sides may end up losing. In our family, after many prayers, struggles and conversations, we have come to the conclusion that my ministry to my immediate family would be paramount, while the ministry to friends and neighbors in college will take on a secondary but significant role.
That said, we try as much as possible to resist the construction of high walls between our family’s ministry and the ministry away from home. The concept of Christian hospitality, the vital theme of the early Church, offers unique opportunities to unite the two in a beautiful way.
In our attempt to have a well-articulated door on its hinges, we have intentionally increased the comfort level of our family by inviting strangers into our world. The ladies of the university regularly struggle with the distractions of the lost foam guns of toy guns and constant interruptions, while talking about spiritual things in our country. They join me in the chaos of car travel or in the monotony of folding clothes. Visitors often participate in our food conversations about ninjas, football matches and playground updates.
Our children learn to support visiting babies who break their beloved Lego buildings, and are invited to talk about Jesus with guests at the dinner table. Whenever possible, we try to make these interactions honest and fun for both parties.
As we seek to show hospitality, we aspire that our guests (and children) will see that Christ, not our children, is the center of the house; at the same time, too much hospitality or ministry outside the house ends up leaving my children. lost in this mix, because their own real needs seem invisible and unsatisfied. Therefore, in our attempt to close the job, we intentionally deny many ministry opportunities outside the home.
We make mistakes. A lot, sometimes very focused on the interior, very limited in family. Other times, with too much attention outside, leaving our house exhausted and exasperated. God has always been kind in correcting us, calling us closer to you.
I would have liked to discover a simple (or even complex) formula to determine how much time and energy to devote in and out of the home, but unfortunately Christ does not offer such formulas. However, he provides his Spirit, which brings to life biblical principles in our circumstances.
God promises us through James: “However, if any of you need wisdom, ask God, who gives free to all and does not harm you; And will it be granted to you?”(Tg 1. 5). Will you offer us a particular wisdom, specific to each child and situation, if we ask and are willing to walk in humble and bold obedience, sometimes locking the door and sometimes opening it.
The following questions helped me diagnose my heart and discern when it is safe, as a wife and mother, to immerse myself in ministry outside the home:
Do we want to become a family that knows the deep beauty of an active front door?Let it open very well on one occasion and, in turn, close another well, as we walk in obedience to Christ. He’s the center.