With the holiday season quickly approaching and as you see the magazines and perfectly curated homes on your instagram feed, it is so easy to feel like you need to have your home gorgeously furnished and decorated. As I flip through magazines I’ve been catching my mind thinking that I need a better dining room set, newer sofas, and impeccable decor in order to feel comfortable with inviting people over.
When we moved into the home we currently live in, I was so eager to decorate but had no budget to do so…and I quickly felt defeated. However, God spoke to me ever so gently and reminded me that the reason he gave us this home was not to impress others, but to bless others. And that has been my motto ever since.
Seek To Bless, Not Impress.
So easily my eyes shift off of loving people and onto my wants and desires. And while I still love and desire making a house a home, God has shown me ways to do that on a very tight budget (want some affordable inspiration? Click HERE). But he has also shown me that when I do open our doors and invite others over, people come not because of a fancy house but because of the invitation to simply come and be themselves.
Yes there is something about a lavish party that is so fun, but that simply is not what I am called to do right now. I’m called to use my portion to love others, and thankfully God can multiply and bless what I do have.
41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied,
Mark 6:41-42
I just need that reminder over and over.
I am not at all saying that people who throw lavish parties are wrong, they are using their portions to love others. The fact is we all have different portions, but how we steward what we are given is what matters here. This is where it is so important to practice being grateful and thankful for the portion you have been given. Because someone will always have more than you.
For example, a research study was done by YouGov asking Americans, “How much money do you need to earn a year to be rich?” Here were the answers:
Annual Income Amount needed to be “rich”
Under $25,000 $293,000
$25,000 to $60,000 $394,000
$60,001 to $120,000 $426,000
Greater than $120,000 $501,000
source: YouGov, INC
The point is our desire for more never stops, so choosing to be thankful and grateful for your current portion is essential to how you then use it to bless others.
So friends, if you are like me and want to create a cozy home and invite others in, here is the one question to ask yourself as you prepare your home for the holidays:
Is this thing I’m doing for the purpose of blessing others or impressing them?
Only you know the answer to that question. If the answer is to impress, STOP RIGHT THERE. Don’t do it! Surrender it to God and move on. Don’t cling to something that is of no value. It will only drain you AND the people you love. Remind yourself that the reason you are inviting others into your home is to build those relationships and to show them that you care about them. People remember how they are treated in your home MORE than fancy decor and furnishings. Just think about it, whose home is your favorite home to go visit? Why is that? I bet it is because you feel loved and known there.
So fling those finger streaked doors open with a smile on your face. Dig out those paper plates, and seek to bless others (with your portion) whenever you can.
