Does material stuff really matter… it’s the inside that counts, right? 

Quite often I’ve come across the assumption that beauty and creativity are lesser pursuits. Spiritual formation and personal growth take precedence over external beauty. And it is true, beauty is more than skin deep. We know it is so important not to get fixated on superficial and external things to the neglect of the unseen. After all, the things we can’t see – spirit, soul, thoughts, values, and attitudes, it is these that our lives flow out of. What happens on the inside form the why that lead to how we do things. 

So, if this is the case, should we attend to the physical aspects of our lives at all? I have to admit, I used to assume that the aesthetic was almost unspiritual, and my desire to create beauty was perhaps more indulgence than necessity. But I have come to see that aesthetics are not peripheral to the real deal. God definitely cares about the state of our inner self, but He also cares about the material. Let me explain.

Firstly, if physical things didn’t matter, God wouldn’t have made beauty. Why do we have food that tastes so good, touch that brings so much pleasure, smells that are enticing and evocative? More than just to encourage safe eating and reproduction, the perception of beauty and pleasure from our five senses serve a higher purpose. They lift our eyes heavenward. They inspire us towards gratitude and praise. They speak of a good Father who gives generously, and a hope of something better than here are now.

Romans 1:19-20 (NLT) says “They know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” Beauty and pleasure speak to our soul.

Secondly, we are made in the image of the creator of beauty, and so we too are also called to create beauty. In Genesis 1:28 (AMPC), our active role in forming our environment is clear: ” And God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast resources in the service of God and man]; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth.” God has handed us the reigns. He clearly tells us, not just to live with what we are given, but to make something with the things He has put in our hands. 

Finally, Jesus was born as a physical being into a physical world. His existence became flesh, bound by physical laws. And He now also dwells in flesh as He takes His place within us and outworks His kingdom through our own flesh. As we live our lives in Him, and create with Him, we point others to Him. The incarnation of Christ brought a shaft of light and hope of heaven; Eden restored visibly into our dark world. Now we have the opportunity to reflect and radiate glimpses of heaven as facets of beauty in the dark places we walk into.

That’s why, in my work as a designer, I see purpose in creating beautiful surroundings. A beautiful home is a tool for outworking the Kingdom and pointing to Jesus. An organised home helps us to launch out into a chaotic world with a fighting chance, and provides a safe place to return to. Our physical environment is just one of the things within our hands that we are given to use for His glory – not the only thing – but a means to be used within the greater picture.

If stimulating our senses can be a vehicle to Jesus, then of course it is worth considering. We focus on the destination not the vehicle, but if we want to be effective, we certainly equip ourselves with any tool or vehicle that is going to help us.

Just one last thing – there is a risk of reading this and heaping upon yourself a mound of unrealistic expectations (if you’re anything like me!). We do live in a broken world, and you won’t find perfection here. There is a balance between doing what you can with what you have, and having the grace to know when you’ve done enough. It is far less about getting it right, and much more about having your ears tuned to heaven, and your eyes open to what is in front of you.