The Father’s Confidence
Genesis 18:19 (NKJV)
For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”
This scripture is very dear to me because, you see God the Father expressing a degree of confidence in the track record of His son Abraham based on an expectation He has. He says “For I have known him...” The question is, can this be said about you? How confident is the Father in you when it comes to your home. Can it be said of you by the Father that your household keeps the way of the Lord? Does your household favor righteousness and justice?
Thought I should bring this up in order to emphasize the following;
-The Father values a godly environment and atmosphere.
-The Father is attentive to the one who keeps a godly environment and atmosphere.
-The Father rewards the one who keeps a godly environment and atmosphere.
Proverbs 31:1 (NKJV)
The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him:
Emphasis Mine
The atmosphere of a home is determined by the individuals of the home and their relationship with the Father. That is so because, your relationship with the Father builds you up and eventually you do and say what you know. And if all you know is godliness that is what your environment will benefit from. Otherwise, ungodliness will prevail in your environment.
We see in this scripture, a King recalling the teachings of his mother. His mother taught Him and now he is a King who has not forgotten the teachings. And I want to believe that these teachings of his mother contributed to where he finally got to in life. Teaching is one way we can help shape the values of the people in our homes which eventually cultivates the atmosphere we choose to live in.
Teach
-Teach the Word
Whom you allow to teach you the word matters because it will determine your receptivity, your comfort, your impartation, your transformation and your outcome. It is quite difficult to receive from someone whom you do not think have anything to contribute to your life. When you do allow a person to influence your life through teaching be quite sure about what you are receiving as well. King Lemuel was taught by his mother. That is the person whom the Father used to influence his life. Your story might be different but always remember that it is important to have a teacher in your life. Some criteria to consider include; someone who knows the word, who lives the kingdom lifestyle; someone with a teachable spirit; who invests time in their growth in all areas.
-Understand your population
Always make sure that what you are teaching is relevant to your crowd. Find out from them what they want to learn. Better still, what is the father telling you about your crowd? I believe King Lemuel’s mother had a clue of what he will eventually become so the teachings had to be synonymous with his goal and future
As a King, he recalls the teachings of his mother. Proverbs 31:1- The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him. When we read further to verse 9, it gives us an idea of some of the things his mother taught him. I often like to categorize his mother’s teachings in this few verses under 3 groups – Women, Wine, Wickedness. Why is that?
Women; Vs. 3 - Do not give your strength to women, Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
Wine; Vs. 4-7 - It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Nor for princes intoxicating drink; Lest they drink and forget the law, And pervert the justice of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to those who are bitter of heart. Let him drink and forget his poverty, And remember his misery no more.
Wickedness; Vs. 8-9 -Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy.
This is significant because these lessons were relevant to his purpose. So too should our teachings be relevant to purpose. What are some of such teachings that are relevant to our purpose? Teachings like salvation, the kingdom lifestyle (prayers, praise and worship, etc.), relationship with Father and more.
-Have a plan and be flexible to accommodate the changes.
A plan keeps you focused. When it comes to teaching, have a goal, work towards that goal in order to accomplish. However, remember to be flexible. Flexibility is required because not everyone may not understand at the same pace.
-Lay emphasis when needed and Evaluate progress.
Your goal should be to make an impact not just transfer revelation or information. Transformation should be your interest. The Holy Spirit might be emphasizing something specific during a particular season. Do well to obey. That might be the turning point for someone’s life.
The crowd you work with will determine how you evaluate progress. Evaluation can be done on a one on one basis or in a general setting. Allow yourself to be guided by the leadership of the Spirit of God.
Family, it takes work and time to invest in the spiritual atmosphere of your home. Let’s invest in all that it takes to keep a spirit filled atmosphere in our homes.
The creative power of our words are of great benefits. The atmosphere of your home is directly related to the lives of the inhabitants of your home. A spirit filled and spirit led life is a life of relationship with the Father.