Less Is More is true in interior design, which I know absolutely nothing about. But, luckily, I have a friend who does. Anna Cheek, owner of Cheek Interiors, is an exceptionally talented designer, and she shared some insight about "less is more."
One of the questions
I have to often answer as a designer is, “How do I decorate the bookcases?”
(The infamous large built-in cabinets next to fireplaces in a living
room.) If you don’t have a plan here they quickly become a magnet for
every small knick-knack you have ever collected or been given in your life.
When shelves or walls, or really any surface you have in your home, becomes covered
with several items it can start to feel cluttered. You might own 25
beautiful pieces of collectible pottery, but if you place them all on one
shelf, none of them becomes special. They compete with one another. If I take
them all down and then carefully select 3 or 4 of them to put on display, then
all of a sudden their individual details become more evident. The color is more
pronounced and the shape or texture becomes the focus. When there are fewer
things competing for your attention, then you can truly appreciate the beauty
of the selected items on the shelf.
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| Anna's beautiful work |
He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30
If I have a relationship with Christ, what is my purpose? Who is the focus? Is life all about me or all about Christ? If there's so much Katy, are Christ's details (love, compassion, grace, patience, forgiveness) evident? Am I trying to show what a wonderful person I am by telling what I do, or am I showing the marvelous God I serve by telling what He does? In other words, am I competing with God?
This is a tough verse, and I believe
it's a struggle for all who wish to serve Christ. We are important; our personalities are
important. We deliver an important message according to our varied talents and
abilities. God requires me to be Katy, but there's a problem when His message
becomes cluttered with too much of me: my opinion, my pride, and my desires. When it's all about me, it's less about Him.
There's nothing like swallowing pride,
is there? It's something I'm asked to do continually because my actions and
words are often in His way. After a week
of the flu in February, I returned to my daily walk in the woods with my dog. Feeling extremely weak, stressed, and
emotional, I walked and talked longer than usual, desperately trying to
convince God that what I was doing was for Him, but He knew it was all about
me. I reminded Him of His details I was attempting to show. He reminded me of pronounced color and
textured scars I was covering up with my own agenda.
Think about Anna's words, "when
there are fewer things competing for your attention, then you can truly
appreciate the beauty of the selected items on the shelf." I know
we repeat this so often, but Christ truly is beautiful.
And let the
beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands
for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm
90:17
It's Not Complicated,
we really do want more, especially of ourselves, but more is only better when
it's Him. Less of me is More of Him, more of His beauty. Is Christ our focal point? Are
we pointing men and women to ourselves, or are we pointing them to Christ?
I want more Christ,
what about you?
Katy
Katy
Speaking of beauty.... I haven't met anyone who doesn't think Anna is beautiful, and she reflects Christ's beauty as well.
