Est Reading Time: 4 mins

Netflix’s Tidying Up with Marie Kondo has taken the world by storm, but is there a unique Christian perspective we should apply to the concepts taught? We started this discussion on Facebook last week. After finishing the show and testing some of the practices from a Christian perspective, I realized that my mindset and methods of tidying up had truly been altered. Simplifying and organizing my home had suddenly become an act of worship. Possibly the same will be true for you.

Tidying Up: Less is More

The show’s premise, and the Konmari method as a whole, is that less stuff will bring you more happiness. With the tidying up of your life, you will have more freedom to ‘spark joy.’ Biblically, we know that, indeed, less is more. As souls destined for eternity, temporal belongings do tend to weigh us down; they distract us from the things for which we were made. Things like community, Gospel living, enjoying God through General and Special Revelation, and more (2 Cor. 4:18).

As believers, we should not be surprised when even those who do not worship their Creator, recognize the truths He instilled in them. Truths such as the fleeting nature of physical belongings. Truths about the deep joy we receive in relationships and experiences, instead of from possessions and consumerism.

Gratitude

One of the first things Marie Kondo does when she enters a home is to ‘thank’ it for providing protection and comfort. She again repeats this process of ‘thanks’ when individuals decide to part with an object; they are to first thank it before discarding it. Christians know that inanimate objects are not imbued with feelings, so speaking to them feels fruitless. In this manner, we would reject Kondo’s process of thanking a house or a t-shirt for their usefulness. However, we are told often in Scripture to give thanks to the Lord. Consider passages such as 1 Chron. 16:34, Ps. 105:1, Ps. 107:1, Ps. 136:1, 1 Thess. 5:18, Col. 4:2, and on and on.

The Great Provider

Believers have the unique ability to see the Giver in the gifts. We can glimpse the Provider in the provision and the Creator in the created. Therefore, as we are tidying up, it is good to remember from whom it all comes, to filter our possessions through a Christian perspective of gratitude. It is good to give God the glory He deserves for His great faithfulness. When we do this, our hearts are likely to also remember His call and commands.

Personally, when I stopped and thanked the Lord for all He has given me, I immediately remembered how many in the world rejoice at daily bread, and how much more than that I have – and take for granted – every day. It tuned my heart to want to part with the excess, to re-calibrate how I purchase and what I retain.

And so, no, Christians need not utter thanks to their house. They should spend a few moments in prayer thanking the Lord for His provision of their home. When parting with sentimental or difficult possessions, it does help give a sense of closure to thank the Lord for the comfort or joy that item brought. In this way, we are confronted with what is important about each item; we focus on the memories with which we are not parting.

Intentional Keeping

The magic to Marie Kondo’s tidying up method is really found in the fact that it is NOT centered around purging. It really isn’t about looking in your closet and deciding what to rid yourself of. Instead, Kondo advocates for intentionally keeping what ‘sparks joy.’ Or what you want to bring with you into the future. Shifting the paradigm from ‘losing’ to ‘keeping’ is truly a game changer.

When I looked through my closet a few weeks ago, as part of my annual New Year’s simplifying routine, and asked myself what I could give up, I came away with a few shirts and a skirt. However, when I went item by item through my closet and drawers, deciding what to keep, I ended up with a pile the size of a small mountain of items I didn’t want to hang onto any longer. These same items were not things I wanted to necessarily get rid of. They were simply items I wasn’t excited to keep. And suddenly, I no longer wanted them cluttering my closet or my life. WOW! I would have never expected such a difference from a tiny perspective change.

Lest you think it’s just me, our whole family had similar experiences. Each of the kids went through their closets, coming away with much more than I expected! Likewise, Chris had an easier time discerning what to keep and what to ditch this time around.

Together is Better

One theme that emerged throughout each episode was that when couples or families took on the task together, it strengthened their relationships. Let me clarify one point quickly: Kondo advocates that each person alone is responsible for what they part with. Guilt and nagging are not part of her equation. Granting one another the freedom to keep what we want actually releases us to better identify what we do and do not desire to retain. The decisions are devoid of another person telling us we have to give it up; which in turns frees us to investigate our feelings more freely.

Marie Kondo is not teaching a one-and-done tidying up method, but rather a ‘lifestyle change,’ a set of principles and practices to help alter your home – and life – forever. As with many other things, this is best done as a collective unit. Having everyone participate helps them to better understand and own the mentalities around ‘tidying up.’ Tackling projects as a family is obviously a Christian perspective that we can all strive to add to our tidying up activities.

A Christian Perspective

There are many Biblical truths found in Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Even if they aren’t packaged that way. All truth is God’s truth, however! Which is why we highly recommend the show, especially if you have felt weighed down by the American dream to buy, buy, buy! Kondo articulates many principles which Christians can adopt, granted that our gratitude and mindfulness are appropriately rooted in the Lord. Freeing ourselves of useless and excessive worldly possessions can truly be a step on the path of increased joy.

Have you watched the show or read Marie Kondo’s books? Has the KonMari method impacted your life, positively or negatively? Share your experience in the comments below!