Choosing a verse for your home is akin to deciding on a word at the start of a new year. Once a trend, this one word practice has for many become tradition. Setting this intention helps give a framework to the year and permission to work toward a purpose rather than a strict set of resolutions, and many of us have embraced as a kinder and gentler way to stay focused.
Along with a word for the year, I like to pick a verse that embraces the word I have chosen. For example, my word for this year is lighthearted and my verse is from Psalm 16:9, “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope.” When I link my word of the year back to The Word, I find it grounds me in a way that says, this isn’t only important to me, but it’s important to God too.
It’s always fun to look back at the end of the year and see the ways God helped us embrace our word and grow in purpose. Last year my word was unwavering, and in a sweet God-wink nod (don’t you love those?), unknowingly Psalm 16:8, the verse right before my verse for this year, ends with “I will not be shaken.” And sister, did I ever have the trials this past year to try shake me, still my unwavering God held me even when I was holding Him at arm’s length in my disappointment and frustration. The order of the words I chose was special too, for me to be lighthearted, I first had to become unwavering.
You too may have witnessed the power and potential of choosing a word. Even when I forget it by July (ok mid-March), it somehow continues to be rooted within me, informing my choices. The good news is this practice can be applied to more areas of our life. When we carry this intentionality into our homes, we can set a purposeful tone for our home life. It’s an opportunity for you to decide, this is what I want my home to say to those who live here (and those who visit) and the overall feeling I want to evoke. While the beginning of the year is always a great time to set this intention, anytime really is a beautiful time, and there’s really no right or wrong choice. You may also be surprised to find this practice has biblical roots…
Years and years ago, we moved into our first home and my sister gave me a little plaque with the verse from Joshua (24:15), “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” I set it next to the kitchen sink and always glanced over while washing dishes to be reminded of the purpose for our home. When I was worried if I made the right decision, when we sat down at the kitchen table to discuss our plans and dreams as a young married couple, when we wondered what step to take next, we would refer back to this verse and ask ourselves, does it serve the Lord? If the answer was yes, then we knew we were on the right track.
We lived from knowing when our intention was to serve the Lord, we would be walking in step with him. Our verse was our guide and even when the path was rocky and filled with thorns, we could take comfort knowing we were headed in the right direction. While this mighty verse is in itself is one to build your home and hopes upon, it also outlines the process for choosing an intention for your home perfectly:
It serves you.
It serves your people.
And above all, it serves the Lord.
This was the first verse I chose to build our home upon (thanks to my sister for the nudge!), long before I ever chose a word of the year. And there have been several more over the years that typically have coincided with a particular season of life we were in. There is power and potential in declaring an intention over your home. While choosing a verse for your home is act of faith, it isn’t meant to stress you out, but to stress your hopes and vision for the special place you call home. In addition to using the verse from Joshua as your guide, you may want to think about what your home needs more of this year—
Have you been tossed about by trials? Is there a cloud of stress over your family? Do you need to be more grounded in truth? Is an abundance of joy and laughter your desire for this year? Are you like ships coming and going and need to simply focus on loving one another well when you’re together?
If you found yourself saying “yes!” to all the above, choose what stands out to you most. Maybe it pairs well with the word you have chosen for yourself or maybe it’s just the thing your family needs in this season. Whatever the thing your family is wrestling with, you can release the hold it has on you by recognizing and saying, I see this and we are going to work on this, we are going to tackle it, together. We can grow in our faith, or show more love to one another, or be more discerning as a family, all of these are good. While you want all of these virtues present in your home, just like choosing one word, choose one intentional focus for this year (or season) to thrive.
Here are seven more powerful verses to get you started in choosing a verse to fit your home:
The Faithful Home
“Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built upon him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:7)
The Steadfast Home
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25)
The Love-Filled Home
“That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19)
The Wise Home
“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant treasures.” (Proverbs 24:3-4)
The Joyful Home
“But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name be filled with joy.” (Psalm 5:11)
The Peaceful Home
“My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.” (Isaiah 32:18)
The Generous Home
“You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” (1 Corinthians 9:7)
While you can choose any verse, Psalms, Proverbs and Ephesians are rich in options. You’ll also want to decide where to put your verse so it’s a consistent reminder to you and your family. See our beautiful Joshua print and others in A Rooted Home Shop or send me a special request for your verse! Set it in a purposeful spot and run all of your decisions, worries, hopes and ideas through the verse. It’s amazing the clarity you can gain when you know your purpose for your home and your life. And when all of the distractions and confusion swirl, this verse will clear the fog and guide you through.
Lovely friend, you know the heart of your home and what it needs best. Any of these verse are beautiful verses to build a home upon. Choose the one that fits this season, be expectant and hopeful in what the Lord will show you as you pray, and know I am always praying with you. You can always begin with Joshua 24:15, it’s what my boys would call the G.O.A.T. verse. When serving the Lord is your guide, you will end up serving your family and yourself as a natural result. And that you can build a beautiful home and life upon.
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