” I will walk in my house with blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing.” Psalm 101:3
This passage recalls to mind several adages from my youth. Charity begins at home. Cleanup your own backyard first. It is what you do and say behind closed doors that reveals your character.
All of these are true. What we practice away from the world defines how we will act and react in the world. It is our responsibility to teach our children Our Lord’s Truths and His Word. It is also our responsibility to be an example to them. If we do not read the Bible, pray and practice the fruits of the Spirit in the privacy of our homes, how can we expect them to learn to live that way as well? Telling them to do as you say and not as you do never works, does it?
Even after the kids are long gone are we not still responsible for acting the way we should in our homes?. Of course. We should act as if Jesus was right there, because, guess what? He is. 24/7-365. Unless we practice being Christ-like in the safety of our homes, even though no one else is around to observe, it will nor become an innate part of us, a deeply imbedded way of thinking and doing. How can Christ truly dwell in us if He does not dwell with us?
David in this Psalm knew this. Of course his house was much bigger- it was the whole of Israel.
Still, it is a great Psalm to take to heart and remind ourselves that being a Christian is an ongoing thing, not just the way we act in public. To be otherwise is two-faced and deceptive. And we cannot serve two Masters, can we? So ask yourself, who is Master in my house? Then take to heart what Joshua said to the tribes as they entered the promised land when he proclaimed that he and his house would serve the Lord.
“No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house, no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence. Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked…” Psalm 101 7-8a
