If you brought together six people with diverse traits and backgrounds, their answers to the title question would likely include six different types of spaces.
Some of us prefer cozy decor, surrounded with precious keepsakes.
Others prefer sleek, white spaces with lots of light.
Some like a rustic, log cabin aesthetic; others prefer the industrial look.
And more than a few gravitate toward the quirky.
But no matter our style preferences, research has confirmed that certain environmental factors impact our mood:
- A warm, cozy home creates a sense of well-being for most people
- Clutter can cause a person to feel overwhelmed and anxious; tidy, organized spaces tend to calm
- Beauty in the form of pleasing colors, sounds, and smells as well as meaningful objects can elevate a person’s mood
- A dark room can make a person feel lethargic; light energizes and exhilarates
- Bringing nature indoors with plants and flowers contributes to serenity
But we can’t always control our physical environments. Home isn’t warm and cozy in the midst of ongoing conflict. Children (and maybe a few spouses or roommates out there!) make messes they’re loathe to clean up. And days on end of gray weather can sap energy and joy. What then?
We can shift our focus from what’s around us to what’s within–the spiritual surroundings of our souls. But how do we impact that invisible space, in order to experience equilibrium and calm?
Let’s begin by imagining the soul like a room, and consider the bullet points above.
First, it is God who creates a warm and cozy environment in the depths of our being—a sense of peace and contentment that no one or nothing else can accomplish. To access His peace we only need to ask. And as the atmosphere of our spirits change, we discover: “The very act of breathing in his presence is balm.”[1]
Second, clutter in the soul includes such unsightly messes as sin, negativity, and worry. God knows we can’t remove the muck on our own. But out of his love and mercy, he gladly helps get rid of the filth as we turn to him for forgiveness, help, and strength.[2]
We can enhance our soul-spaces with beauty—thoughts that center on all things lovely, excellent and praiseworthy. Imagine hanging on the walls of your spirit pictures of God’s faithfulness—remembrances of his provisions, guidance, and blessings. View with delightful awe his magnificent deeds.[3]
A few well-placed lights of scripture[4] will certainly energize and elevate our mood—passages such as these:
- “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long, they celebrate your righteousness for you are their glory and strength”.
- “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”
- “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.”[5]
Last, at least for this post, we can bring the delight of nature into our spirits, much as we enjoy bringing plants and flowers into our homes.
Have you noticed that when we take the time to marvel at the intricacies of a leaf or petal, our pleasure is expanded further?
Similarly, we can take time to marvel in God’s attributes and abilities gloriously displayed in creation:
- his inventiveness and engineering—from insects designed to walk on water to whales that communicate underwater.
- His attention to detail as he created a planet that sustains life.
- His mind-boggling power to fill the universe with stars, planets, moons, galaxies, nebula, comets, and more—all governed by the scientific laws he established.
And as a result of such contemplations, our pleasure in him is expanded.
When all these elements are combined within our spirits—warmth and coziness with God, cleanliness, beauty and light from God, as well as delight in God, we discover true sanctuary, a place where we can enjoy intimate relationship with him and rest for our souls–a place of refuge and calm.[6]
Isn’t that a place where you’d like to live?
[1] Philippians 4:6-7 and Jan Karon, A Common Life, 116.
[2] Psalm 51:7, Psalm 94:18-19, Philippians 4:13
[3] Philippians 4:8; Psalm 105:5a; Habakkuk 3:2b
[4] Psalm 119:105
[5] Psalm 89:15-17a; Isaiah 26:3; Nahum 1:7
[6] Matthew 11:28-29; Psalm 55:6; Isaiah 25:4; Psalm 16:11
Photo credits: http://www.rawpixels.com; http://www.pexels.com; http://www.flickr.com (Nicolas Huk); http://www.commonswikimedia.org; http://www.pexels.com; http://www.rawpixel.com; http://www.canva.com; http://www.piqsels.com; http://www.publickdomainpictures.net; http://www.commons wikimedia.org.
From the Inside Out 