Heaven. Can you imagine it for a moment? A place of perfect peace, grace, acceptance, and love.
God’s design for the home is that it be a little piece of that, right here on earth. A safe place where hurts get healed, forgiveness is routine, and grace is the norm, until we reach our eternal safe place there.
But, let’s be honest, if someone asked your kids to describe your home in one word, “heaven” might not top the list. At 7:05 on a school morning, “chaos” is more likely, and “where are your shoes?!” might take a close second.
For many families, sometimes home feels more like stress than peace, more like division than unity. But what if we could create a home environment that brought Heaven to earth?
“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)
Jesus taught us to pray for heaven’s priorities to reach down and touch earth, and what if that prayer started in our living rooms?
On earth, we run ourselves ragged, but not in heaven. On earth, we idolize entertainment, but not in heaven. On earth, we chase what pleases us in the moment, but not in heaven.
So how will our homes ever feel like a taste of heaven if our priorities rarely match up with what we’ll be doing for eternity?
But when we live in awareness as sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, Heaven’s priorities more naturally infuse our home
Our best parenting comes when we think less about being parents of children and more about being children of God. – Justin Earley Habits of the Household
Our kids are always watching what we value. A heavenly home is one where Jesus is praised, God’s Word is followed, and kids feel secure, loved, and covered in grace, even on the days when patience feels thin and the shoes are still missing.
A few questions to consider this week:
- If you stripped away church activities, how much of what fills your family’s weekly schedule will actually matter in heaven?
- Is your home a place where forgiveness is quick and grace is the norm, or where grudges linger?
- How often do your kids see you pray, worship, or open God’s Word, or rush past it?
Make it practical!
Which of these practices resonate with you most that could help your home look more like Heaven on earth this week?
- Open God’s Word together. Even just a few minutes of Scripture or prayer at bedtime keeps heaven’s priorities in front of your family.
- Speak life. Use words that build up and encourage, not just correct. Heaven is a place of acceptance, so let your kids hear their worth and God’s love in your voice.
- Slow down on purpose. There’s no rushing in heaven. Protect one unhurried meal, game night, or Sabbath rest this week.
- Serve one another. Heaven is selfless, so have your family do small acts of service for each other, like making a bed, doing a sibling’s chore, or writing a kind note.
- Practice generosity as a family. Give, serve, or bless someone outside your home together, and let your kids see the values of heaven in action.
What’s one small thing you could start doing today to make your home feel a little more like heaven on earth?
No home is perfect. But every home can point to the one that is.
