Boundaries
Revelation Knowledge
One reason I know that the Father is very passionate about the spiritual atmosphere of our homes is because He demonstrated this aspect in the garden He planted in Eden by setting boundaries.
Genesis 2:16-17 (NKJV)
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
Until this time, God had not set any boundaries for man. In fact, God told man to freely eat of every tree in the garden but for the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Simply put, God’s original intent for man was not for man to live from the knowledge of good and evil, rather from revelation knowledge. If you must live off revelation knowledge, that tells me that it is priceless and of value to the Father. If boundaries are set to prevent you from functioning off the knowledge of good and evil, it therefore means there is value in revelation knowledge.
We are talking about ways in which you can cultivate the spiritual atmosphere of your home.
Some practical ways you can do so is
1) Give priority to the study of the word in your home because it helps shape your thoughts and the words spoken which has a direct impact on the atmosphere of your home.
2) Set boundaries when it comes to the words spoken in your home. Everyone in your home should be accountable to each other for the words spoken. Be open to correction and also correct others when the wrong things are said.
3) Another way to promote revelation knowledge in your home is to constantly have messages going on or meaningful praise and worship.
4) Encourage the speaking of tongues in your home. Very important.
Family, one thing you must settle within you early enough is that not every good word spoken is godly and not every right word spoken is godly.
If we can get to a place where we only speak what the Father ask us to speak and do so how he wants us to say it, then we can confidently say we are operating off revelation knowledge. (John 12:49). In everything, let’s imitate Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1).
Companionship
It is very fitting to talk about companionship right after talking about boundaries as one of the ways to cultivate the spiritual atmosphere of your home. I decided to handle them as separate topics, however, companionship is also about setting boundaries in terms of associations. Companionship established in your home was never meant to be for a person or people who challenge your Kingdom established values, rather, for people who support it and also advance the Kingdom. Also, companionship was not meant to be burdensome. Together, let’s take a closer look at the Father’s original intent when it comes to companionship.
Genesis 2:18 (NIV)
The LORD God said, "It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
Beyond the context of marriage and the purpose of male and female as seen in this portion of scripture, is companionship. A person or thing you spend most of your time with. As humans on earth, the Father used Adam and Eve to set the standard of companionship. When it comes to companionship;
- Remember that it is God’s idea; it is spiritual and it should be done using His principles.
The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." (Genesis 2:18).
- The person you keep company with should add value to your relationship, not deplete the relationship. In this case, Eve was to be a helper suitable for Adam. There are many other ways value can be added to a companionship by the parties involved.
- It should be done with someone you enjoy keeping company with. When Adam saw Eve, he was very pleased. Not even God forced him into this relationship. We are told in Genesis 2:22-23 (NIV); Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”
Summarily, whoever you permit into your home
- Should thrive under the conditions of your home. By this I mean, if godliness is the standard you live by, do not be hesitant to kindly use wisdom to establish those values with the person so that the person is not taken unaware. It takes so much sacrifice to cultivate a spiritual atmosphere in your home which is indeed priceless and it will be unwise to allow anyone to meddle with it.
- Add value to your relationships on purpose. If your companion is not adding value to you, add value to them. Teach them the importance of growing to place where they can begin adding value to others. Remember, your home is a garden, likened to the garden in Eden where the Lord God planted man. Freshness is almost synonymous with a garden. Therefore, challenge yourself to constantly have fresh/new revelations and ideas to share with the people you keep company with. Always remember that your home is a training ground.
- We said earlier that company should be kept with someone you choose and not someone you are forced to keep company with. Therefore, if it is in your power to decide, be careful about whom you permit to stay in your home. Now, we are not talking about children who are still very dependent on you or a spouse you have a covenant with.
1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)
Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."
The Greek word for “company” in this verse is the word “homilia” which refers to conversation and association. So when it comes to companionship, beyond the person you associate with, is the conversation you have with the person. It is almost impossible to separate these two aspects especially in a home environment where verbal communication is mandatory.
Companionship also includes the books you allow to be read in your home, the television programs you allow to be watched in your home, the words you allow to be spoken in your home and more.