Establish a House of Love
By Rachelle Allan
@rachellechronicles
@whitepoppypineco
Every New Year, I make the same goal: organize my house. And while I’m at it, spruce up the décor, make a few updates, and clean out every nook and cranny. I feel completely motivated and inspired by the Lord’s counsel to establish a house of God.
Then, around January 10th, every year without fail, the overwhelm sets in, and it feels like too much. I can’t possibly establish a perfected house.
The reason behind the overwhelm is not from the Lord’s counsel. It is because I am caught up in the outward appearance of my home. The disorganized closets. The clumsily decorated living room. The haphazardly thrown together flower garden in the front yard. And though I focus on the outward appearance, the Lord looketh on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
I do believe that our Heavenly Father is concerned about the state of our homes because the home is where our family’s main gospel and life learning happens. And just like He always does, through wise counsel, He gives us a loving command: “establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:119).
But the Lord’s counsel to “establish a house” is not intended to cause overwhelm or lead us to spend countless hours searching Pinterest for the perfect organizing system. Establishing a house of God is synonymous with establishing a house of love. Because God is love (God is Love, Hymn 313).
So, rather than focusing on all the outward imperfections of our homes, we can instead focus on the love felt within the home. Once you establish love, everything else will fall into place. Afterall, there is beauty all around, when there’s love at home (Love at Home, Hymn 294).
There are many ways to establish a house of love, but here are 4 simple suggestions to get you started:
First, fill your house with music. Music has an amazing ability to lift people’s spirits and bring them together. It doesn’t even have to be hymns or religious music. Any music that lifts your spirits and brings happiness to your family will help establish a house of love. It can be soft instrumental music in the background. It can be plunky piano music from your kids. It can be dance music blasted through the house accompanied by an epic dance party. Whatever brings joy, will in turn bring love to your home.
Second, fill your house with scripture. Gathering your family together for scripture study is definitely a labor of love. And it doesn’t always turn out beautifully. Daily family scripture study can be downright painful at times, so I have decided to enhance my family’s scripture experiences by saturating my home with scripture art. Artfully designed scripture verses, general conference quotes, or even lines from beloved hymns can set a tone of love in my home. And as I walk through my home, I am reminded of my loving Heavenly Father who provided me with so many words of love and comfort.
Next, fill your house with laughter. Family life is meant to be fun. Be silly together. Have tickle fights. Play games and go on outings. Turn family chores into a game. Or simply put the to-do list down and play. Laughter really is the best medicine and a wonderful way for your family to grow in love.
Last, fill your house with kindness. Kindness and love always seem to go hand-in-hand. As mothers and wives, we are very good at being selfless and kind to our spouses and children. But also remember to be kind to yourself. Give yourself grace when you fall short of your own expectations. Allow yourself the same space to grow and improve as you do for your family. Everyday won’t be perfect, but you can choose to see the goodness and beauty in the everyday when you look at your life and home through the lens of kindness.
As we fill our homes with love, the Lord will inspire and guide us to establish a house even more like His. But remember that love always comes first. The décor and the organizing can wait. The love cannot.
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