Unless the Lord builds the house… Psalm 127 gives us the keys for how to build a biblical home in a busy modern world.
How do you build a biblical home?
This is probably the most important question that a Christian family can ask! You want to enjoy family life, honor God in everything you do, and raise your children to know and love the Lord.
That is a tall order, my friend.
And by God’s grace, He delights to help you do that. He loves to help you build a biblical home.
We recently wrapped up a fun series diving into how a wise woman builds her home, from Proverbs 14:1. You can deep dive into a lot of really helpful topics there! From speaking encouraging words to learning how to apologize well, there is a lot that goes into building a godly, biblical home.
But today, we’re taking a broader view of how to build our homes. We’re diving into Psalm 127 to get a helpful snapshot of what a biblical home looks like.
Every Christian mom needs this encouragement, and we all need the wisdom of God’s Word! Let’s dive in together.
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Finding wisdom in Psalm 127
If you want to enjoy Christian family life, Psalm 127 is where you need to start.
This wonderful psalm gives us such encouragement for building a biblical home! In only 5 verses, this psalm helps us clarify our perspective on family and home life and shows us how to best approach our closest relationships.
This is a short psalm, but so powerful and helpful. It was written by King Solomon, known as the wisest man who ever lived. In this psalm, we find an insider’s view of what a biblical home looks like. We can start to see how our own Christian families can build something similar, even in a busy modern world.
Digging into Psalm 127
In our ultimate guide to how a wise woman builds her home, we looked at 3 key areas for every Christian mom to focus on. (Of course, within each area we looked at several important topics.)
We each need to build the right internal character, be intentional with our family interactions, and be purposeful about our individual actions that support Christian family life.
In this psalm, we will also look at 3 pieces for how to build a biblical home. We’ll tackle them one at a time and then wrap up with the key take-aways for how your Christian family can build a more biblical home.
As we start, you may find it helpful to jot down your own notes for further prayer or reflection. Or, grab some free journaling prompts to guide you in thinking through your home and family life.
Who is building your house?
1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.
This psalm starts right off the bat with the final definition of a biblical home. It is a home build by God himself.
Yes, Jesus was a carpenter. But it is not likely that God is going to physically show up with a hammer and build you a house. But He still wants to be the Builder!
Today, the Lord builds your house through the wisdom and guidance he gives you through his Holy Spirit. He helps you to remember, understand, and apply his Word (John 16). The Spirit prays on your behalf (Romans 8).
We build a biblical home through prayer and obedience to God’s Word. Otherwise, you labor in vain.
And this extends to your neighborhood, city, and country. God is in control, and we each need him to “watch over” and protect us.
Who is in control?
2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.
Don’t worry, struggling with insomnia does not automatically mean that you don’t have a biblical home! (But it’s still no fun.)
This verse is not really about sleep. It’s about trust.
Are you rising early, staying up late, toiling away for your home and family? That sounds pretty stressful – and not particularly biblical.
No matter how much effort you put into your home, family life, work, finances, or anything else, you are not in control of what happens. God is in control. He is the Provider, and He loves you.
Yes, God has things that He wants you to do. Adam and Eve had work to do before the Fall (Genesis 1-3). And family life is a LOT of work!
But the success does not depend on you alone. You might need to rise early or stay up late. There will be work involved in putting food on the table and paying your mortgage. But God is ultimately in control, and He is the One who provides what your family needs.
Do children matter in a biblical home?
3 Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents in court.
You probably already knew this… but your children are a blessing! It is easy to overlook them or over-prioritize them, but they are a key part of your Christian family – and your biblical home life.
Being a mom is not easy work. And being a Christian mom can be even scarier in some ways, because we know the brokenness of the world and are trying to raise our family in a different way!
But this psalm is very clear: children are a blessing. They are a “heritage” and “reward.” Parenting is not easy work, but it is very important and meaningful work!
(Of course, you can have a biblical home without the blessing of children. I’ve struggled with infertility for years and I know how painful that is. But I also know that I was not less of a woman, wife, or homemaker before I had children. We have to trust the Lord in ALL circumstances.)
This psalm is clear, however, that children are not a blessing to a Christian family simply for the enjoyment of cute toddler pictures or help with household chores.
Ultimately, children are given to us in order to raise them up and send them out. They are “arrows” with a specific goal: serving Jesus Christ.
In a biblical home, children are being discipled with the eventual hope of strong, faithful men and women entering the world to fulfill God’s purposes for them.
And then, as we consider verse 5, we see how parenting shapes our biblical perspective as well. As Christian moms, we will “not be put to shame” when we contend with the outside world.
“Going to court,” as verse 5 talks about, is stressful and difficult – but it is a short-term problem. Raising your children, however, is long-lasting. It is impactful and identity-forming.
Your children, husband, and Christian family life are far more impactful on your life than outsiders are. It can be easy to get distracted during the busy days or feel discouraged by the state of the world around you.
3 take-aways for how to build a biblical home
Psalm 127 is a short and sweet song about Christian family life. And it gives us great wisdom our homes and families.
First, we see a clear takeaway in putting God first. He must build the house! Your faith matters, and the things you do (or don’t do) to grow in faith matter. If this is a struggle for you, I’d suggest two resources:
- Grab my free Holy Habits 45-Day Bible and Prayer Challenge to develop a habit of daily time with God.
- Dive into Scripture with the Finding Your Identity in Christ devotional workbook to grow deeper with the Lord.
Second, we see the importance of trusting God and not trying to control everything ourselves. God is in control. You do your part, but you cannot (and wouldn’t want to!) steal control from God. This is always tough! I have two resources that might help you here:
- My free Christian journaling prompts will help you think through these issues around family life.
- The Building A Home of Godliness and Joy devotional workbook helps you take action on building a biblical home.
Finally, have the right perspective in your parenting. Your children require a lot of work, but they are a great blessing. And you are raising them for a purpose: to send them out as “arrows” building up God’s Kingdom. You may want to read a few other posts for continued encouragement here:
Listen to Episode #127
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