It’s Okay to Like Nice Things by Dr. Lisa Burkhardt Worley
I went shopping yesterday for my birthday. I had birthday cash from my husband and a gift card from my oldest son and daughter-in-law burning in my pocket, so I picked up a couple of new outfits. I did not feel guilty about it.
Sometimes we give ourselves a hard time when we buy something for ourselves or purchase new decor for the house, but I was reminded this week that God loves beautiful things, and I believe He instilled that love of beauty in our hearts.
When the LORD gave instructions for building the Tabernacle, there was ornate beauty involved—gold, silver, and bronze. Blue, purple, and scarlet cloth were used for the Tabernacle, as well as fine linen and goat hair. Onyx and semi-precious stones were set in the ephod and breastplates that the priests wore. The curtains were made to exquisite detail. The LORD God is the Designer of all designers!
So, when we are followers of the LORD, we love what He loves. I love creation—especially flowers—and for my birthday, I received three floral arrangements from my youngest son and roses from my husband. Our house looks like a floral shop, and it makes me happy!
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God “has made everything beautiful in its time.” Our Heavenly Father has an eye for beauty and has created a beautiful world for us to admire.
Still, there is one thing more beautiful to God than the things we wear or put in our homes, and that is what we put in our hearts. God looks at our hearts and is pleased when He witnesses a gentle and quiet spirit (1 Peter 3:4). He doesn’t want us to be tied up in knots with anxiety. When we trust Him, angst evaporates away. I often pray, “Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). That prayer invites the Holy Spirit to clean out the bad and make our hearts more beautiful.
So, let’s not feel bad about loving nice things. It’s part of our DNA, as we are made in the image of God, who fills our world and our hearts with beauty.
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