Home Is...Where Your Heart Is?

                                            Photo source: ChatGPT

Home is where your heart is? Flipping the Script on how we define Home

Two questions: What does “home” mean to you? Ever thought about what it means to Jesus? Before the cross, Jesus said something interesting about not having a place to lay His head and Pastor Joseph Prince has taught that when Jesus said, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Matthew 8:20), the Greek word used for “lay His head” is the same word used in John 19:30 when it says, “He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” What does this mean? The Son of God found His rest at the cross—in redeeming us, saving us, and bringing us home into the Father’s loving arms.

For us, home is where we come to rest and lay our heads after a long day. Home is where we rest. For Jesus, Christ found His rest in saving us—in redemption. And in saving us, He brought us into the Father’s home—and brought the Father’s home into us. As the famous Hillsong lyrics from What A Wonderful Name goes, “He didn’t want heaven without us so He brought heaven down…” into us.

What Really Is Home?

Home is where we’re unveiled and unguarded—no pretense, no mask. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “We all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image…” We now behold Jesus face to face, without barriers. I recently learned that one of the roots of the Greek word for worship, proskuneo, means “to kiss”—to come so near that a kiss is possible. That’s deep intimacy. That’s home.

Home means intimacy but home is also messy. It’s where we strip down, live daily, mundane lives and stop performing. It’s nightwear and natural light. No filters. It’s casual clothes, familiar paths, and comfort. It’s where we don’t need to “get it together” to be loved.

Home is where you are free, accepted and known. It’s family that calls you by name, the smell of someone cooking in the next room, food that warms your belly, walls that know your laughter, warm clothes, and a roof over your head. It’s rest for your soul (Matthew 11:28–30). It’s safety. It’s comfort. It’s peace. It’s protection.

Home is also where life happens—the birthdays, seasons, growth spurts, milestones, and memories.

Home in Christ is Holy

Similarly, life in Christ is not always mountaintops and miracles. It’s rooted in the ordinary: feeding, resting, growing, belonging in family. That’s why the local church is our immediate family, and the global Body of Christ is our extended family.

Because Christ is here—here is holy. Ephesians 1:4 (TPT) says, “He chose us to be His very own, joining us to Himself even before He laid the foundation of the universe! Because of His great love, He ordained us so that we would be seen as holy in His eyes with an unstained innocence.”

Christ is at home in us. So we are holy. Even the spaces we live in—our homes—are holy. Our home life is holy too.

The Intimacy of Christ Dwelling in Us

Psalm 90:1 says, “Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.”
We live in Christ and He lives in us. In Ephesians 3:17 (NLT), Paul prays, “…that Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him.”

But what does this look like, really? Christ being in us as Christians is more than theology—it’s home. It’s relationship. It’s intimacy. Being “one with Christ” (1 Corinthians 6:17) is like marriage—intimate, fruitful, and deeply connected. John 15:4–5 reminds us: “Abide in Me and I in you… the one who abides in Me bears much fruit.” No fruit without union. No transformation without communion.

This life isn’t about self-effort or striving—it’s about staying connected and letting Him live through us (Galatians 2:20). And guess what? His presence is greater than perfection.

Home Life and Growth

As ordinary as home life is, it’s the context in which life and growth naturally happens. You don’t force a child to grow—you feed them, they sleep, they stretch—and one day, they outgrow their clothes. It’s the same for everyone. Didn’t you notice that while growing up, you wore your favourite outfit one day and it didn’t fit anymore? Yup. Growth happens quietly, unconsciously.

The same goes for our life in Christ. We don’t force spiritual maturity. We feast on the Word of His grace and grow (Acts 20:32). Even Peter echoes the same thing in 2 Peter 3:18 when he says, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Sometimes you don’t even know you’re growing—until you return to something you used to enjoy or say, and it no longer fits your new life. Growth in Christ is becoming who you already are in Him and true growth and maturity is not being “strong” all the time—it’s learning to rely more on Christ. It’s understanding our union with Him and letting that union bear fruit in our thoughts, decisions, and daily lives. It’s increasing in Christlikeness.

Home Life and Chores

Home isn’t just rest—it’s also order. God is a God of peace, not confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). When we tidy, organize, and bring order to our homes, we reflect God’s nature. Isn’t this why we feel excited when we’ve cleaned up our space or done some deep cleaning? We feel proud of ourselves and enjoy the freedom and beauty of a clean, healthy space.

In Ephesians 3:17, Paul’s prayer is that “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” The word “dwell” here means to settle down and feel at home. Not a temporary stay—a permanent residence. We don’t just want Christ to visit—we want Him to move in, take the keys, rearrange the furniture, and be fully at home in every room of our hearts.

You know how we try to welcome visitors into our homes by telling them, “Make yourself at home,” but we don’t actually mean that half the time? Lol. But Paul actually prayed that we would invite Jesus in, tell Him to make Himself at home in our hearts and actually mean it—for real. He isn’t a guest. He’s the one who renovates and redefines home from the inside out, because we are one with Him. That’s why Paul calls Christianity, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) It’s a relationship.

Christ Feels at Home in Us

Imagine Christ doing life with us—folding laundry, cooking meals, tending to details. That’s the kind of relationship He wants: personal, intimate, and present. Spiritually, Jesus doesn’t just visit. He lives here and He does deep heart work—decluttering the soul, clearing emotional baggage, removing shame.

He enters the locked rooms, sits in the messy corners, and whispers, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19) He wants access to every room—especially the ones we hide. The ones filled with pain, regret, insecurity. He brings His light and healing, and turns those places into dwelling spaces.

Let Christ run the home. The key to this is surrender. Let go and trust Him with every detail. That’s what faith looks like—giving Him the master key and saying, “Come in. Be Lord here” knowing that He comes in to bring loving care, wholeness and nurture to our live. Proverbs 3:5–6 reminds us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding… and He will direct your paths.”

The Dirty Work of Love

My sister and I are different in many ways. We share jokes and late-night memes. But chores? Not our common ground. Especially dishes.

She hates doing them. Me? I don’t mind. During a quiet season at home, washing dishes became therapeutic—just me, running water, and Jesus. But for my sister, it was prime business opportunity. She often offered to pay me to wash dishes whenever it was her turn to. Lol. She was definitely a Gen Z CEO in the making.

But this thing about dirty dishes reminded me of something powerful I read years ago: Jesus does the dirty dishes of our lives.

That was something I couldn’t wrap my head around. It sounded messy to say that about Jesus. Yeah? Think about it: The King of Kings doesn’t strut with pride. He kneels. He washes feet. He touches lepers. He feeds outcasts. He lives amongst the poor. He walks dusty roads and dines with sinners.

He steps into our dirt—and gets under our nails. Not filtered. Not aesthetic. Just love. Gritty, holy love.

Mark 1:40–42: Jesus touches a leper no one else would.

Luke 8:43–48: He heals a bleeding woman who had been suffering and isolated in her disease for 12 years, the looks at her and calls daughter—the only time He uses that specific word in the NT.

John 13:1–17: He kneels and washes His disciples’ feet.

Luke 5:29–32: He eats with tax collectors and “sinners.”

And when the time came, He chose the dirtiest death—a criminal’s cross. Isaiah 52:14 says His appearance was “disfigured beyond that of any man.” Why? So nothing could separate us from His love (Romans 8:38–39).

This is quite a messy list of things to be doing as someone who’s the VVIP of the entire universe! But that’s really the dirty work of love. It isn’t cute or clean. It’s costly. And faithful. But He chooses to do this. Both then and now.

And now, when we receive that love, He doesn’t stand at the door judging us. He moves in. He scrubs. He restores. He breathes life and light and everything beautiful and good.

He Brings Fresh Air

Like the April 24 entry from I Hear His Whisper says:

 “I am the God who breathes life into dry bones and causes newness to spring from the ashes of defeat. I resurrect hopes buried in the soil of grief, and I cultivate new vines of sweet fruit by intertwining them with my faithful mercy. Let your heart take courage today in the life that is growing. You are awakening in the delight of my extravagant compassion again. Let the joy that has broken through the surface bubble up to overflowing! Soak in the sunshine of my love. It fills you with all you need for an abundant life. It is time to draw back the curtains and let the fresh breeze of my Spirit clear out the staleness and dust of winter. Open up and let the light in. Allow me to remove all shadows, and you will feel sweet relief as my glorious light makes all things fresh and alive again. There is nothing stopping you now from reveling in my marvelous kindness. You have only to receive.”

Jesus does this daily—like a gardener of our hearts. He lovingly washes away what clings—not because we earned it, but because we’re His. This is why the Christian life isn’t behavior modification. It’s not about fixing ourselves It’s about receiving His life and letting it flow through us. Paul mentions that in Philippians 2:13, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.”

Even David, who knew failure and grace intimately, said: “Your gentleness has made me great.” — Psalm 18:35. There’s something about being loved this way that changes us. It stuns us. It makes us strong. It makes us want to love Him back—not out of obligation but awe.

So, the next time you’re washing dishes or sweeping up a mess, folding laundry, washing dishes, or sitting in silence—know this: Christ is at home in you and He is not afraid of doing life with you – even in the messiness of it all. He meets you there. And where He dwells, everything becomes holy. Even the ordinary.

Let Him in. Let Him be at home in your heart. Let Him hold you close to His heart. Let Him move around, open the windows, rearrange the furniture, and breathe life into every room. He is your Home—and you are His Home. And in Him, you are always welcome. Always safe. Always loved.

Welcome Home.

Not yet in the fam?

God is a good Father who loves you so much and wants you to be part of His family as His child. He offered His only Son, Jesus Christ, to pursue your heart and save you and bring you into the family. All you need to do is to receive His love and you can live in it and enjoy it for the rest of your life. Will you receive it? Then please say this prayer:

Father in Heaven, I thank you for loving me. Thank you for sending the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, to save me from my sins and give me eternal life. I believe in my heart that Jesus died for my sins, He was buried and on the third day, He rose again, to make me right with you. I declare that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour. I thank you that I am now saved and I'm a member of your family. I ask that You fill me with the Holy Spirit and help me to know You more. In Jesus' name, amen. 

Welcome! 

If you said this prayer for the first time, you're now a child of God and I am excited that you are my sibling in Christ. Welcome!!! 🥳There's a whole party going on in Heaven right now, on your behalf, like the excitement over a newborn baby. Will you please reach out to me and let me bless you with a resource that will help you get started on your journey of faith? Click here to do so. I love you and can't wait to meet you.