Scripture: Ephesians 3:17 TLB – “And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in Him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love.”
Some Thoughts: “Mi casa es su casa” is a Spanish phrase meaning “My house is your house”. It is said as a greeting of hospitality to tell guests to feel welcome and at home. Welcoming someone into my home where I can honestly say “My home is your home” doesn’t always come easily to me. I’m really a lot like Martha – I begin to fret and fuss. The words, “Mi casa es un desastre” may even come out of my mouth.
Have you ever taken a walk through your “heart home?”
When I was a little girl, I remember a little song that went like this: “Into my heart, into my heart, come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Come in today, come in to stay, come into my heart, Lord Jesus.” I’ve always believed that when I repented and said, “I accept the gift of salvation”, that Jesus “came into my heart.”
But has my home been His home – where He feels welcomed, rather than restricted? Scripture says that our heart is the “temple where He dwells.” I’m a visual person, so I like pictures. I LOVE the picture of Jesus knocking on the “door of the heart.” He comes to US; it’s our job to say “Yes”. We have to open the door from the inside. (There’s no handle in one artist’s rendition of Jesus knocking on the door of the heart. The artist intentionally wanted the viewer to notice that the door could only be opened from the inside.)
In John 14:23, Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.” So I think we’re safe in calling our heart a “home” where we want Jesus to be welcomed and comfortable.
I can’t take full credit for some of my thoughts in this demo. I was having a conversation with a friend, which “stirred my heart” with these thoughts. (Thank you, CJ!)
Imagine the front door. He knocked and you welcomed Him in. You’re in the front room. (I’ve always wanted a “good room” that’s always “company ready”. This isn’t always the case, but in my “heart home”, I have a “good room” that I welcome Jesus in to.) I want to offer Him coffee (of course) and just talk together as good friends. Are you picturing this in your own “heart home” right now?
But it doesn’t end here. Jesus wants access to my whole “heart home”. Maybe your “heart home” has an attic or upstairs storage that you rarely go into. I’m looking around in my attic and I see things I’ve collected over the years – memories. Things I will never use or wear, but for some reason have “held onto”. Maybe an old “wheel chair” or “crutches” from the past. A trunk or a box. What’s inside that box? Hurts? Regrets? Are you getting the picture? Look around in the attic of your “heart home”. Is there something that Jesus is saying “You don’t need that anymore. Will you give it to me? Let me take it.” What hurt, what habit, what old way of thinking or responding is He asking you to give to Him?
By “letting go”, we experience true deliverance. Jesus won’t do a full attic cleanup all at once! He’s very patient. He will take those things only as we’re ready to hand them over. I would love to get the attic cleaned in one fell swoop, but Jesus knows that there’s growth in the intentional “letting go”, so I come to Him daily and say, “Search my heart, Lord. See if there be anything that needs to go.”
After the attic is cleaned, Jesus asks to go to the basement. Horror of horrors! In many castles, the basement would have a dungeon where prisoners were kept. We had a pastor who used to preach “Who’s in your dungeon?” I will never forgot that sermon illustration. So, going to the basement of our “heart home”, imagine a dungeon. Is there someone in your dungeon that you haven’t been able to forgive? You put them in the basement, thinking that it would punish them for the injustice done to you…or maybe you put them in the basement thinking, “out of sight, out of mind”. But Jesus knows that in order to experience full deliverance, you need to forgive. It’s a command. You are the one in the dungeon if you don’t forgive; it’s hurting you more than the person you are refusing to forgive. So, right now, Jesus is asking you, “Would you release that person to my care? Will you forgive them and let ME work on their heart, instead of thinking you have the power to bring about justice?” Jesus says, “I know that you don’t FEEL like it yet…You have to trust Me to bring the feelings after the decision. What I am asking you to do is partner with Me. Release this person (or persons) to Me and then pray for them as I knock on their heart’s door. You will find yourself understanding that I love them just as I love you, and want access to their ‘heart home’, just as I want access to yours. By doing this, you will experience even more freedom! And your FEELINGS will be changed toward this person.” Galatians 5:1 reads: “For freedom, Christ set us free.” He wants us to be free! Accept His deliverance.
When we allow free access to every part of our home, we can truly say, “Mi casa es su casa” to Jesus!
My prayer: Oh Lord, I pray that we would be quick to open our whole heart to You. May You have free access to every thought, word, or deed. I pray for Your deliverance from those habits and ways of thinking which are not pleasing to You. Oh Lord, I welcome You into my heart. Please make Yourself at home. May my heart be a reflection of Your beauty and love, a warm and loving place where love spills out all the doors and windows to those around me. Amen.
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Love this.