6 Tips for a Happy Home over Christmas

The importance of family is often heightened during the Christmas season. With growing pressures on the family unit, here are some simple but profoundly practical and Bible based tips that will help you to enjoy harmony within your family

1. Be quick to say sorry

“How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in harmony.” Psalm 133:1 (NLT)

The first to say sorry is usually the one to bring peace in the midst of a possible storm. Being a parent who can say sorry to the kids because you have ‘lost it’ at them actually displays strength and humility to them.

2. Be quick to forgive

Jesus said this about forgiveness… “Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37 (NLT)

Forgiveness is about letting go. It shows as parents we are kind and gracious, just as we want our children to be.

3. Carry the load

“Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them.” Proverbs 3:27 (NLT)

Don’t be afraid to give your children tasks. Even the little ones can contribute in some part to the family.

4. Use words that
 build up and encourage

“… an encouraging word cheers a person up.” Proverbs 12:25

There is nothing better than seeing one child encourage their brother or sister. You can model this to your kids. They love hearing words of love and encouragement.

5. Be trustworthy

Follow through on your word. The Bible puts it like this…
“… let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’, and your ‘No’, ‘No’.”
Mathew 5:37 (NKJV)

I know myself that sometimes I have made promises to my children which I have not followed through on. We need to think about the promises we make, and make sure we keep them!

6. ‘Play’ Together

There is a saying that goes like this… “A family or team that plays together stays together.” Solomon from the Bible (referred to as a very wise man) said it like this… “So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can.” Ecclesiastes 3:12 (NLT).

I remember the times my family had fun together. Turn off the wifi, pull out a board game, throw the ball to the dog. It does not have to cost money, but do something together. Your kids might groan at first, but then they will love it!

(adapted and modified from a Hillsong Blog Post)

“Hillsong’s band United are third on the ARIA charts this week. But that’s no fluke. Fronted by Joel Houston, the son of Hillsong’s founders,the band have enjoyed success here and abroad for years – selling out stadiums in places including the USA.

He says their success is down to God.
“It’s hard to explain it outside the scandalous nature of God’s grace,” says Houston.
Other Pentecostal churches are using music in their services too.
Ryan Smith from Christian City Church says music helps them appeal to a younger crowd.
He says Hillsong are by far the most successful with their music.
“(They are) the most successful worship experience that’s available for purchase in the world today,” says Smith.

Preached this recently at Inglewood.

A Christian view on the environment, nature and creation. Who does the earth belong to? How do we look after it?

Listen

At both our services as we launch our ‘Stand Out’ theme for the month.

Here is part of the starting thoughts….

I also think it is important because in the Bible, there is a vision about creation and how creation is a part of the glory of God, and this vision will take your breath away, and help you to love God more. It is a vision that badly needs to be heard by our world, and the church has to articulate it. I think we have often not done this well. So that is what we are going to talk in this talk. We’re not talking about the environment, environmentalism, ecology, human or political agendas, we’re talking about creation.

 

Should be challenging and interesting I hope at both our services…

This quote resonates with me. My story would say as much.

The arrogance of making experience into a theology that trumps Scripture is exceeded only by the arrogance of making lack of experience into a theology that trumps Scripture.

You can read more here.

The author is responding to John McArthur and his recent ‘Strange Fire’ conference. Why would you go to the bother of organising a massive conference to speak against something? Sheesh.

I am utterly convinced that God works with different people in different ways. We can put that down to personality type, degree of faith, circumstances.

And we can understand that sometimes God works with us in different ways for reasons unknown. However perhaps experience teaches us that as we journey with God we discover what His particular methodology is with us.

For me, it has become increasingly obvious that God looks to me to burn some bridges before He comes through with either provision or leading. I still don’t know what this means, but let me give you some illustrations.

Moving House

As Melinda and I planned and prayed about moving close to our Church community we looked for a house. We could not find one. It was not until one day Melinda said something like this. “Mark, God wants us there, we need to sell our house in faith” So sell our house we did. It took just over a week to sell. But that is not the amazing aspect. In the week after we sold it, we stumbled across the house Melinda loved, and it was not even for sale yet! The owner was someone we knew through a ministry of our church and through coincidence we found our she was going to sell. We bought it before it even went on the market. This was when the market was at its hotest and houses on the street were selling in hours. God made His point.

Moving Church

Not me moving from Church, but our Church moving to a new building. For years we as a church were looking at new facilities for our growing church community. Somewhere that our community could access and utilities and we could have programs suitable for our culture. It was not until we as a church had stated our intention to sell all our property, that a suitable building came up. When it did, we were ready to act.

Other Moves

There are other examples but they involve other people and situations which perhaps are best left private. But there are numerous other ways, some small, some significant, which match this pattern.

Why?

Do I know why God acts this way with me? No I don’t. And I am not really asking for insights particularly. But it is clear to me that He does not work this way with some other people. Some I am sure He does, but I have noticed with some people God shows the way, provides, before time. Maybe He likes to test me! I don’t know. Either way, journeying with God is never boring. Understanding how He has worked in my life has been significant for me.

You

Please do not take my thoughts here as application for you dear reader. Maybe you resonate with this, maybe you don’t. I have seen other mature Christians wait on God until it is clear He has led or provided. It amazes me how God places in some peoples paths the job, the leading, the provision. You need to find your own way, relationship and understanding of God’s work in your life.

A friend from South Geraltdon (not really) is writing about a vexed issue within contemporary Australian Churches, divorce.

You can read his wrestle here.

Its a worthy addition to the discussion.