This week’s devotions are based on Week 5 of Building Together: “Behind Closed Doors!” (WATCH HERE)
Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
There is a side of every family that the outside world never sees. People see us at church, at work, at school, or in the community, but our families see us when we are tired, frustrated, disappointed, and under pressure. They see how we respond when we don’t get our way. They hear the words we use when we are angry. They see whether we forgive or hold a grudge.
What happens behind closed doors matters.
It matters because our homes are one of the primary places where our faith is lived out. It is easy to speak about love, patience, forgiveness, humility, and kindness at church. It is much harder to practice those things when someone we love has disappointed us for the third time, when the children aren’t listening, when the bills are piling up, or when we are simply exhausted.
Paul’s words in Colossians 3 remind us what Christlike living looks like in those ordinary moments. “…as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. .” Then he says, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Notice where Paul begins: Our identity: “chosen…holy…dearly loved”
Our Christian behavior doesn’t create God’s love for us. God’s love creates our Christian behavior.
We don’t forgive so that God will forgive us. We forgive because, in Christ, God has already forgiven us. We don’t serve our families so that God will finally be pleased with us. We serve because Christ has already given Himself for us. We don’t love perfectly in order to become God’s children. We love because He has made us His children through Christ.
That is especially important in our homes.
There will be times when we fail. Husbands will fail their wives. Wives will fail their husbands. Parents will fail their children. Children will fail their parents. But a Christian home is not a home without sin. It is a home where sin is met with repentance and forgiveness.
Sometimes the most powerful witness we can give our children is not pretending that we are always right. It is allowing them to hear us say, “I was wrong. Please forgive me.” It is allowing them to see that forgiveness is real because we have experienced it from Christ.
And what happens in our homes eventually affects the church.
We bring our attitudes, habits, relationships, and character with us when we gather as God’s people. If we learn to practice patience at home, we become more patient with our brothers and sisters in Christ. If we learn to forgive at home, we become more ready to forgive in the congregation. If we learn to serve at home, we become more willing to serve in the church.
Strong Christian homes don’t make a strong church because they are perfect. They strengthen the church because Christ is at work in them.
The church is a family of forgiven sinners, and our homes are smaller places where that same Gospel is lived out.
So this week, don’t underestimate the spiritual significance of ordinary life. The way you speak to your spouse matters. The way you respond to your children matters. The way you forgive matters. The way you pray matters.
Behind closed doors, we have opportunities every day to build something that lasts.
We follow God’s order.
We love with God’s heart.
We leave a legacy of faith.
And when we fail, we return again to the One who never fails us. Christ has loved His Church perfectly. He has given Himself for us. He has forgiven us. And His grace gives us the freedom to go home and try again.
Reflect: What do the people closest to you see in your life behind closed doors that you might not want others to see? What is one way you can let the forgiveness and love of Christ shape the atmosphere of your home this week?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for making me Your beloved child through Jesus Christ. Forgive me for the ways my selfishness, impatience, anger, and pride have affected the people closest to me. Fill my home with Your grace. Help me to speak with kindness, serve with humility, forgive as I have been forgiven, and love as Christ has loved me. When I fail, give me the courage to repent and ask for forgiveness. When others fail me, give me the grace to forgive. May what happens behind the doors of my home reflect the love of Christ and strengthen the family of Your Church. Amen.