How often do you use the word “edify” in your everyday language? It’s certainly not a very common word, is it? I wonder if your children know the meaning. I think the reason we don’t use it frequently is because it’s not a secular word. It’s a Bible word and occurs nearly 40 times in the New Testament.
It’s a building term and is often used of building houses and even the temple. The Greek word is “oikodomeo” which comes from two words: “oikos” = home, and “doma” = to build, especially a housetop.
It’s all about building up one another--encouraging one another, making one another strong and secure in the storms of life, and inspiring one another to grow stronger and stronger and taller and taller in the Lord.
It’s all about building up our home--building on the foundation of God’s Word, daily strengthening and encouraging our family unit, dispelling disunity, repairing rifts, hurts, and misunderstandings, and reaching forth for all that God has for us. As we build our family, we don’t want a half-finished building, but a magnificent building!
Paul said, “We do ALL THINGS, dearly beloved, for your edifying” (2 Corinthians 12:19). Wouldn’t it be wonderful to make this the vision for our family lives? Every time we open our mouths and whatever we do, we build and lift up one another to a higher place. Imagine the atmosphere in our home when every member of the family does this to one another?
Ephesians 4:29, 30: “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God.”
Romans 14:19: “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.”
Of course, there’s a secret to having an edifying lifestyle--building up your own spirit first, and then because your spirit is strong, edifying all around you. What is the secret? It’s prayer. Jude 1:20 says: “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.”
Would you like to implement this new vision into your whole family?
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
Painting by Tasha Tudor