The Beauty of Things

Or more accurately, the beauty of redemption

I have been thinking recently about things. I mean actual things, things such as tools, cars, and phones. This is a continuation of the same thought about the beauty of life as a Christian. I have already written about the beauty of the past, present, and future. If you have not read those, I would encourage you to go back and check them out. This post is about "things" or "stuff." I want to explore how, in some weird and wonderful way, things can be beautiful. This takes a unique perspective which I believe is afforded to us by Jesus Christ and the Gospel.

How are these mundane everyday tools and objects worthy of any kind of mention? I believe, as Christians, we have a distinct advantage in the way we use things. Since we are people of redemption we have the inside scoop on how to be redeemed and what it means to be redeemed. This means that we can use homes and cars for the glory of God and fully utilize them for their original purposes. We can open our homes for our neighbors and friends, but also for those who do not have homes or who cannot afford to feed themselves. The home is a wonderful place to be invited to. For a Christian, homes should house a family and, obviously, Christians. This means that the home now reflects the character of God in the way that it is used. This thing called home is now elevated to God's glorifying purpose, to be loving and strong and always pointing to something greater. Namely, the glory of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 

Applying this, we now know how to use all of our things in this manner. The beauty of things is that Christians can use them all for the glory of God. That we can redeem things and use them for good. The field that experienced famine can be tilled, fertilized, and seeded for future harvest. Tractors can be used for the glory of God just like a home can. We can share our cars and dishes and even our jackets that rest on our backs all for pointing back to God. The beauty of things is that they were made to be used so that we can use them for God. 

But what about bad things? What about all the things that were specifically made to injure and destroy people? Where is the beauty in these terrible things? As Christians, we have the hope of Christ. We cannot neglect this fact. This enables us to look beyond the terror of people using things, and hope for the moment that we will be glorified with Christ and when we can finally rest in the final redemption of ourselves with Him. Torture chambers do not last forever, but the Gospel does. The inevitable beauty of redemption is that what we see now does not last forever. Things break, get lost, and are stolen, but Christians, through the Holy Spirit, can endure all these things because our hope is not resting in those things alone. Our hope is in Christ who is beyond torture chambers, broken cars, and nuclear bombs. My final hope lies in the redemption of the world in the second coming of Christ, not in things. I am freed in this life to use everything to the glory of God exactly as it ought to be used. 

So, through the Gospel and only the Gospel, we can see the beauty of things in the fullest sense. We can live, laugh, and share our things and never lose hope when they are not returned. Our hope is a living hope and that carries us through life. When we use things with the joyful certainty that God is honored in our usage of them that encourages us to use them all the more. We want to include others so that they may share in the joy. Everything from pickleball to planting pumpkins can be joyfully done for the glory of God with others. We can use all of our things with a higher and greater purpose. 

Limiting our view only to the material perspective enslaves us to avoid looking eternally. We must continually deny being thankful and joyful for being gifted with what we have. It promotes selfishness and isolation because we start to believe that they are our things. Materialists reject God and the good gifts that he continually gives us. Let us always be looking for opportunities to glorify Christ in whatever we do and in all the things we use daily.

Ultimately, things are painfully transient. People are eternal. I encourage you to evaluate the way you are using your possessions. I recently got married, and I have been blessed to evaluate how I view my things. Marriage is an excellent example of the Christian relationship on so many levels. No longer are we two people, but we are now one, and that extends to all of me, even to my stuff. Again, things are transient, invest eternally. That is where things matter so build your life on Christ where things do not become rotten and thieves do not break in and steal. See Christ as the treasure that he is and you will view your things as ways to be used by him and for him.