Home First

I remember when I was younger, I thought success and security were pretty much the same thing. If the bills were paid, food was on the table, and everybody had a roof over their heads, I figured I was doing what a man was supposed to do. And while none of those things are unimportant, life has taught me that a house and a home are not necessarily the same thing.

Some of the homes I remember most weren’t impressive by the world’s standards. They weren’t large. They weren’t perfect. But there was something about them that made you want to stay awhile. There was laughter in those homes. Grace in those homes. Conversations around the table. A sense of peace that made people feel safe and welcomed.

Looking back, I don’t remember the color of the walls in my childhood home nearly as much as I remember how it felt to be there. I remember encouragement. I remember forgiveness. I remember the feeling of knowing I belonged.

Maybe that’s why Solomon says wisdom builds a house. Not money. Not success. Not accomplishments. Wisdom. Because at the end of the day, our families won’t remember the square footage nearly as much as they’ll remember the atmosphere.

One of the things I love most about Jesus is that people seemed to relax around Him. Children weren’t intimidated by Him. Broken people weren’t afraid of Him. Somehow, people who had been carrying heavy burdens found rest in His presence.

Musonius Rufus believed that the home was the first and most important place where virtue should be practiced. Character, he taught, mattered most among the people who knew you best.