The awe inspired by the beauty of the Grand Canyon or the splendor of Niagara Falls points to an intelligent Designer. He's provided continual aesthetic delights for us. I'm grateful our Creator isn't dull or boring—but He has imaginative flair! He could've put together a shabby, dull, monotone world, but that would've been an extreme misrepresentation of who He is.
Beautifying our homes conveys some of the more creative qualities of the God we serve. If we want homes that display His glory by reflecting His character, then it helps to become students of beauty and creativity. Soft, calming colors that blend and tastefully chosen pieces of décor and artwork provide an appealing atmosphere. The furniture doesn't have to be expensive or new to possess comfortable beauty. Small touches like scented candles and soft classical pieces playing in the background can fill the air with a pleasant ambiance. Framed Scriptures communicate His Word in an attractive and personal way.
I've heard that Edith Schaeffer, wife of the late Francis Schaeffer, led more students to Christ through her cinnamon rolls than her husband did through all his philosophical discussions. I'm not sure of the accuracy of that statement, but I do know that sensory comforts can aid the education process! After her husband's death, Edith blessed the world by writing a beautiful tribute to God's creative character in her book Forever Music. The following excerpt was written to challenge us to use our creativity:
To be made in the image of God, the Creator, means that creativity is part of what human beings are in the very warp and woof of their beings. Human beings can't help being creative any more than they can help breathing, or communicating with other human beings .... Men and women, people, were given the earth to take care of, and to use in interesting, original, creative ways .... There is a staggering diversity in Creation from the silence of snow to the delicate sound of rain on leaves. What amazing "models" have been made—not to be copies as if by Xerox or with a camera, but to give inspiration to creativity and birth to ideas in endless combinations and variations. The captivating ingredient in the whole fantastic stream of reality is that the Creator God created beings in His likeness so that each one could be a creator on a finite level.1
What ways are you using your God-given creativity to give your home an inviting atmosphere? I'd love to hear your "beauty tips" for the home!
1 Edith Schaeffer, Forever Music (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1986), 86.
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