house or home?
is there a difference?
“A house is made of bricks and beams. A home is made of hopes and dreams.”
“Home is a shelter from storms-all sorts of storms.”-William J. Bennett
I would suspect we are all familiar with the scene in, The Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy closed her eyes and clicked her sparkly red heels ( that ALL little girls want to own) together three times and said, “there’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.”
What does that statement mean to you? When you watch that scene does it stir your emotions? If so, why? What is a home to you? Is there a difference between a house and a home in your mind? When you refer to where you live, do you call it your house or your home, and why?
When I closed on my property in Indiana years ago I remember saying, I bought a house and I can’t wait to make it our home.
To me, there is a difference. A house may be decorated with the nicest furnishings money can buy, but that won’t necessarily make it a home. A house feels cold and impersonal, but a home? A home feels warm and very personal. Home is a familiar place, a place we associate with love, a safe place/space, a place of origin or where we connect with our identity.
photo by Stephan Bechert @steve4c
I’m not of the mindset that you need to be wealthy or have a home so beautiful and prestigious that it looks like a museum or something out of Magnolia, or Southern Living magazines. Often, those places feel more like a house than a home.
That being said, I have been in mansions, incredibly beautiful homes, where the love and a strong sense of love and being welcome is very present. I have also been in homes in terrible impoverished communities that you would never imagine could feel like a home because of the poverty. But, because of the leader in that home, their heart, and the vibe they’ve nurtured, those homes can feel more inviting, open, warm, peaceful, and joyful than you could imagine.
I know when we talk about home, generally we focus on the physical structure of a home, but what is so much more important to know about home, is that a home can really be anywhere. What the world calls a home is a socially constructed idea. Home is that feeling that tells the story of who we are, where we came from, and what we know is always there for us. It’s our foundation.
I have met people who have moved continuously throughout their lives, and they speak of being home because it was their parents, family, friends, community, and/or a church who made wherever they lived, “home.” It was that feeling of security, a sense of belonging no matter what, relief, comfort and warmth that they found at the end of a long day, no matter where they were physically.
Home should be where memories are built. It should be a place of refuge from the outside world both physically and emotionally. In scripture, when Jesus speaks of home, He uses the word “abiding.” A house is an address where someone lives, but a home is where people abide. A place where people love and serve one another and Christ. A place where all are welcome.
Which leads me to the most important home of all. This is not an earthly, but a heavenly home. I have said it many times, this world is not our home. We ALL were created to seek our heavenly home. The PERFECT home. A home that is available to all who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
None of us, even those who have had wonderful earthly homes should ever be satisfied with what we have here on this earth. Those who have had horrible earthly homes should have hope and know this world will pass away, and God invites YOU to live in His mansion in Glory one day.
All here passes away. Our treasures here, even our homes will one day fade and they will pale in comparison to what God has for us in heaven.
Scripture tells us, “In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” John 14:2 ESV
Whether we have or have not had a good earthly home experience, God promises those who come to Him through Jesus, that we have a promise of an eternal home that is perfect and a safe haven from this hatred and failings of this world.
If you are tired and weary, searching for home, look no further. If you feel like you don’t belong and you’ve never known a home like I’ve talked about, I promise you, God loves you and wants to be that solid foundation you’re searching for…stop looking back and run home.
It's been a long time running down a dead-end road
Lookin' for that something that could fill my soul
Never found what I was searching for
It's been a long time running from a messed-up past
But you can't go forward when you're lookin' back
But I ain't looking back anymore, oh-ohHe called my name (He called my name)
And He stole my shame (He stole my shame)
Everything changed when I came running home
(I'm running, I'm running home)
Out of the dark (out of the dark)
Into His arms (into His arms)
No more running away, I'm running homeI'm running, I'm running home
I'm running, I'm running homeNo more running in circles tryna be good enough
I'm far from perfect, but I found perfect love
In the arms that won't let go
Got a heart on fire, got a wind at my back
Singing Hallelujah, I am free at last
Every day I'm running home
Run to Jesus. He is your home. He is that solid foundation that will never fail you.
“Home is not a destination: it’s a relationship.”~ Tim Keller
Something to Consider:
How do you describe the feeling you want others to have in your home?
How do you feel in your home?
How do you want your home to feel?
What do you see and hear in your home?
What kind of life are you living in your home?
Is your home a welcome and safe space for weary travelers?
Do you bring other into your home, maybe people that can never repay you or invite you to their space?
