Written on the chalkboard

On our chalkboard in the dining room is written:  "I will walk in my house with blameless heart.  I will set before my eyes no vile thing."  Psalm 101

I see it every day.  Up to five times a day I read it in my head, simply because I face it while I eat.  (Yes, I eat five times a day.  Gimme a break I'm nursing the worlds most hungry baby.)

I purposely wrote the words from the Psalm for all to see, but mostly for me.  To remind myself to do just as it says, walk in my house with a blameless heart and set nothing before my eyes that is distasteful, evil, wicked or just plain low.  Low.  It's not hard to find things that are low today.  Magazines, web pages, face book, blogs, television it's everywhere.  But I can choose to look away, I can decide to keep it out of my home and I can surly find the self control to stop reading the newspaper when the story is nothing but foul gossip. 

The Psalm goes on to say, "Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the Lord." 

So I don't actually silence the wicked in the land, but I do have to silence my own mind each morning.  I do have to cut off my sinful heart from reminding me of all the things I have no control over.  Maybe my husband didn't get up with any of the children the night before when I was up six or seven times rocking little ones back to sleep or changing sheets because someone drank too much water right before bed, which of course he served to them with love not knowing the result of such kindness.  It's easy to be tempted to dwell on these thoughts allowing them to grow into resentment.  Or possibly I scowl at the thought of how slow one of my children is at learning obedience wondering when she'll just get it already.  How could I possible greet her sweet little face with new mercies if I allow such thoughts to settle in my soul.   
If I do not consciously silence the wicked in me I definitely won't walk through my house with a blameless heart.  No way, no how.  I've gotta nip that wickedness at the first light of day in order to do that!
So what does walking in my house with blameless heart mean anyway?
Well, I don't know, but for me it looks like this.

Purposeful discipline.  The kind that doesn't leave me feeling sad, because I know it is for their good and not just because I am frustrated with them.  I also know it will probably sting (emotionally and physically), and that's okay because discipline that doesn't hurt really isn't discipline at all.

Selflessness.  Because at the end of the day when I walk down their bedroom stairs and plop myself on the couch next to my husband I don't want to run through the day in my head regretting where I focused my time.  I want to confidently know in my heart that I set aside portions of my day just to be with them.  Playing.  Laughing.  Exploring.  Rocking.  Singing.  Eating.

Busyness.  If my husband arrives home from work and the house is in shambles (and I'm not talking about a dishpan full of dishes and laundry still to be put away, I mean SHAMBLES) and the children are running around like rabid bear cubs from lack of attention all because I didn't productively use my day to serve my children and husband, you better believe my heart will be full of guilty excuses as to why things look the way they do.  And before you know it I'm explaining just how hard it is to get everything done because so and so is slow to learn obedience and I was up all night with the kids, which reminds me, where were YOU last night?!? 
Blameless heart, out the window.


I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will sing praise.
I will be careful to lead a blameless life when will you come to me?
I will walk in my house with blameless heart.
I will set before my eyes no vile thing.
The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.
Men of perverse heart shall be far from me;
I will have nothing to do with evil.
Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence;
whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.
My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me;
he whose walk is blameless will minister to me.
No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.
Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the LORD.
Psalm 101