Many husbands can testify that one of the most exciting aspects of marriage anticipation was the joy of preparing a new home for their bride. In John 14:1–3, our Lord Jesus gave His disciples an understandable example as He gave them words of comfort on the eve of His crucifixion. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
Every bridegroom longs for the day when his bride will be with him. The time from engagement to the wedding are days of preparation, not only for the wedding itself but for life beyond! From many valid options, some young men undertake the arduous but rewarding task of actually building a new home for the family they hope to establish. Others rent a house or apartment and fit it out for occupation. Still others are provided a home by their parents in which to begin life together. These examples are a few among many housing options that a young man must work through as he prepares a home for his bride.
According to Proverbs 24:27, “Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.” This wise counsel from Scripture instructs that a young man ensure that he has the skills, education, and preparation for diligent labor necessary to support his family as he considers marriage.
No matter how big or small, new or old, or fancy or simple, a new home always buzzes with excitement in the days leading up to a marriage. Decisions need to be made, furniture purchased, repairs completed, and updates to be considered.
The following points are some practical considerations that every bridegroom ought to think about when preparing a place for his bride.
Prepare a place of comfort
Ultimately, the man is preparing a dwelling place for his wife. His chief goal is not his comfort but her comfort! It is appropriate and proper that the bride and her parents be involved in shopping for appliances that she would like in the kitchen, what kind of furniture she might enjoy in the living room, and what fresh painting scheme would suit her tastes. The young man is not merely preparing a house—he is preparing a home! It should be a place where his wife will feel loved, honored, and rested.
Prepare a place of hospitality
God created a home to become a center of hospitality. Many profitable friendships over the years will be strengthened in the breaking of bread. Children growing up in a hospitable home learn the importance of hosting guests for an evening or a few days, inviting friends in for a meal, or even preparing meals to deliver to a family welcoming a new baby or battling an illness, or even to one who is homeless.
Young men should think about the potential of their home as a center of hospitality when preparing a place for the bride. Is the kitchen adequate? Is the living area capable of seating guests? Is the yard free of noxious and poisonous weeds where children would play? This focus on hospitality allows the new family to look outward as well as inward, considering ways to serve rather than to be served. Hospitality is not only about pleasure, but it is also about service, generosity, fellowship, and sacrifice for the sake of our Savior.
Prepare a place of worship
Homes ought to be a place where the Lord is worshipped daily. In Deuteronomy 6:7, God states that fathers are instructed to teach God’s Word “diligently unto thy children.” An important part of family worship is reading the Scripture together. This is one of the ways that a husband is instructed in Ephesians 5:26 to love his wife—by sanctifying and cleansing her with the “washing of the water by the word.”
Young couples anticipating marriage should plan their home with family worship in mind. Where will you worship God together? How can you establish a place free of distractions where you can seek the Lord daily? These considerations should factor into the decisions of every young man or woman as they move forward in their preparations toward their wedding day and life together afterward.
