God Protect This House
“Protect this house” is a popular phrase for many elite sports teams and was designed as a slogan and campaign by Under Armour to encourage athletes to believe in themselves, take pride and push their limits. The phrase “this house” is a metaphor for everything an athlete and their teammates protect, including themselves, each other, their families, friends, reputation and where they come from.
I was discussing this with a friend some weeks ago who married later in life, now has a younger child and has just acquired their first home. We talked about the difference between a house and a home and how, in my opinion, God really cares about the home we create. I believe that in mysterious, but very real, ways He dwells with us in our homes as places of sanctuary and shalom.
Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.’- John 14:23 NIV
One day, as the book of Revelation tells us, the whole of the Earth will be a home for God, with us as His beloved people, as the new Jerusalem descends from heaven forever.
One day, this transformation will be complete. In the meantime, we have the privilege and responsibility of creating these “advance houses” now, but we also hold the ability to destroy them.
As Andrea and I were bringing up our children, and the inevitable squabbles and disagreements occurred, we would often ask the kids whether their actions were building or destroying family. This mindset applies in real ways to all the environments that we are part of.
To me, this concept is throughout the scriptures. Think of the Lord’s Prayer, which we repeat often, asking for God’s kingdom to come and for His will to be done. I believe He answers this prayer continually. I also believe our actions welcome or repel the likelihood of this occurring.
Let’s be people who live in such a way that we see every action and word as constructive or destructive, ensuring that shalom and flourishing are the most likely outcomes, alongside our sincere prayers for it to occur.
God protect this house.
Selah.