The Church in Your House

“The Church in your house.”
— Philemon 1:2

Is there a church in your house? Are all the individuals in your household members of it? Or, are some still unconverted? Let’s pause for a moment and let the question sink in. Reflect on what it means to have a church in your house. Pray for the salvation of your loved ones. Now ask yourself, “Am I a member of the church in my house?” Think how a father’s heart would leap for joy, and a mother’s eye would fill with tears if all their children were saved!

Let us pray daily that God’s tender mercy fall on our households, as it did in Philemon’s house. Philemon, no doubt, prayed for salvation in his household. However, his prayer was not answered in its fullness at first. He had a wicked servant in his house. Onesimus had wronged Philemon and had run away. Still, Philemon continued to pray for him, and God led Onesimus to hear Paul preach. God changed Onesimus’ heart, and he returned to Philemon’s house to complete his servant’s obligations. Not only was Onesimus a faithful servant, but he also became a beloved brother in the church in Philemon’s house (Philemon 1).

Church Begins at Home

Is there an unconverted member of your household in need of salvation? Make it a priority to engage in conversations about the goodness of God. When you talk about God at home, you are, in effect, having church in your house. If there is such a Church in your house, consider it well, as worship begins at home. Teach your children to act everywhere, as though they are in the presence of God. Teach them diligence, kindness, and integrity.

You expect more of the church in your house than of an ordinary household. Worshipping as a family fosters warm and unbroken love. love that is warm and unbroken. Praying as a family ensures that external conduct is Christlike. We must be mindful that the church begins at home. Ultimately, the family church must draw near to the great head of the universal church, Jesus Christ. Today, let us pray that He give us grace, that is, visible to everyone we encounter, for the glory of His name.