For This House
Every Season. Every Space. All for Him.
Every Season. Every Space. All for Him.
These last few weeks, I’ve finally committed to reading through the Bible. It’s something I’ve never actually done from beginning to end, and I’m enjoying the Bible now for what it is: His Story.Â
Now contrast that with spending most of my time with a silly little 4-year-old boy and his 1-year-old copycat. My mind is constantly dealing with the whiplash of going from this overwhelmingly powerful story of the God of the Old Testament to fart noises, dinosaurs and GET OFF YOUR BROTHER!
Balance is something I feel I am constantly striving for and never achieving, but I refuse to lose hope. And so I will continue to reframe my thoughts and rhythms.
God delights in our laughter just as much as He treasures our prayers. Living surrendered to Christ doesn’t mean becoming a stoic saint who’s too serious for silly moments. Instead, it means recognizing that joy, play, and genuine connection are gifts from Him—and He wants us to open our hearts to these and see them as such.
We have to embrace this both/and thinking because the Christian life is never going to be black and white. Living in surrender and experiencing joy in the secular world will always coexist, and that’s not bad.
Everything good comes from God, which means there’s no such thing as “non-spiritual” joy when we’re walking with Him.Â
That dance party in your kitchen while making dinner? Worship. That belly laugh with your girlfriend over coffee? Fellowship. That cozy movie night that leaves you feeling grateful for beautiful stories? Communion with the Creator who invented both.
The key isn’t avoiding all things “secular”—it’s approaching everything with a heart that’s tuned to God’s presence.
Surrender isn’t about shrinking your life—it’s about expanding it to include God in every corner. When your heart is aligned with His, ordinary moments become infused with His presence.Â
You can laugh until your sides hurt and still be walking in obedience. You can debate the merits of different coffee brewing methods with the same heart that seeks God’s wisdom in bigger decisions.
The goal isn’t perfection or constant “God-talk.” It’s integration—living as a whole person who belongs to Jesus in every season, conversation, and moment of joy.
You have permission to be fully yourself—the woman who loves Jesus AND enjoys a good fantasy novel, properly brewed coffee, or whatever other quirk makes you, YOU. God isn’t looking for robots but rather followers who trust Him enough to live with open hands and full hearts.
Your surrender doesn’t require you to become less fun, less engaged, or less authentically you. It invites you to become more of who He created you to be—joyful, connected, and fully alive in Him.
Remember: A surrendered life isn’t a smaller life. It’s a life that’s been expanded to hold both the sacred and the sweet, the profound and the playful, the eternal and the everyday.
Lord,Â
Teach me that surrender doesn’t mean sacrificing joy but finding it in You.Â
Help me live with open hands and a full heart, trusting that following You leads to more life, not less.Â
Let my devotion be filled with delight, and my everyday moments overflow with Your presence.
Amen.
Lauren is a founder of For This House. She is passionate about living authentically for Christ both personally and professionally. Lauren lives in British Columbia with her family of boys. She enjoys nature walks, quality time with family or friends, and exploring new places. Learn more about Lauren.
Lauren is a founder of For This House. She is passionate about living authentically for Christ both personally and professionally. Lauren lives in British Columbia with her family of boys. She enjoys nature walks, quality time with family or friends, and exploring new places. Learn more about Lauren.