Discussing
Seeing ourselves in our objects

How we furnish our homes reflects our stewardship, and our stewardship is part of our obedience.

Is it all about me? Do I register for wedding gifts I don't need, just because someone else is paying for them?

Do I go into debt to make my home perfect from the outset, at the expense of not being able to give? Or do I have the patience demonstrated by a make-do newlywed style?

Do I need to have my house perfect before anyone can come over?

Do I care more about the oriental rug than the children who might like to play on my floor?

Do I choose trendy decorating styles that will result in waste?

Do I spend thousands to redo a kitchen with particle board cabinets, when the solid wood cabinets could've been salvaged? Do I even consider God's creation when making my decorating choices?

Thoughtlessness, vanity, and greed rear their ugly heads in our decor as in the rest of our lives. Being willing to give up perfection in our homes and live with "good enough" can be a form of sacrifice and worship. We fail continually. Thank God for grace!

It would seem to me that the objects that decorate my living space speak to my interest in the past. Much (albeit not nearly all) of what decorates my space is older than I and even if not a great deal of it was passed along to me rather than purchased recently. I'm not real sure that the things we own are a measure of our spirituality beyond how they are used. Do we share them out and try to benefit others with them or do we hoard them in trophy cases of "look what I have and you don't. Now keep your hands to yourself?" As far as can we put too much emphasis on asceticism and simplicity, yes I think we can but we also very often give into its opponent and become slaves of hedonism. I'm sure God is worshiped in some manner by my enjoying His creation but life is simply not about the things manufactured or otherwise.