Rachel

Wisdom for Your Heart & Home: the Book of Proverbs and Victoria Duerstock’s Design Devotional

This is the current state of my home.

picture of a sparse living room

Notice there is nothing on the walls although we have lived here for three years. No window coverings besides the blinds that came with the home. My furniture style is “if it’s free, it’s me.” Being a renter is my excuse, but it’s really because I lack wisdom for home décor and design.

The Difference between Knowledge and Wisdom

I actually do know something about home décor. I love to read Martha Stewart Living and I like to make Pinterest boards full of design ideas. But I lack wisdom because I don’t actually use any of my knowledge in my own home.

In the book of Proverbs, we are called to have both knowledge and wisdom in the fear of the LORD for our everyday life decisions. The book of Proverbs is full of wisdom for our money, our relationships, our mouth, and also for our home.

Another way to describe wisdom is with the word “skill”. Like in the book of Exodus when God gave Oholiab and Bezalel skills to build the ornate and useful articles for the tabernacle. The Hebrew word for skill in that passage is the same word for wisdom in the book of Proverbs.

So while I believe that we are to use wisdom in the décor of our home since God himself took time to make things beautiful in His place of worship and in the world He created, I don’t actually take time to use this skill in my home. For me, this is a hard part of Scripture.   

Wisdom in Home Decor

That’s why I appreciate Victoria Duerstock’s wisdom in her new book, Heart & Home: Design Basics for Your Soul and Living Space.

On each two page spread there is a Bible verse with a short Christ-centered devotional. These are short, but not fluffy. The devotionals are Christ-centered and not me-centered so that you can apply God’s wisdom to your soul.

There are also pictures of design ideas and basics along with specific steps to take to apply God’s wisdom to your own home. Not that you need to copy the design photos to make your home godly. Victoria’s design tips get your creative juices flowing so that you can figure out what will work for your particular home. Another added bonus is that Victoria included design photos and tips from a variety of Instagram designers so if you find a design that you particularly like, it’s easy to follow that designer on Instagram to get more design ideas.

Proverbs and Wisdom in Home Design

Since I have been studying Proverbs recently, the devotionals centered on verses from Proverbs really stood out to me.

Here are a few examples:

Proverbs 24:3-4                                     

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

In this devotional, rare and beautiful treasures are described as things in the home that tell your story. What a way to share our testimony of the Lord’s faithfulness when we have a visitor in our home and we are able to share a story from a unique treasure we have on display. I know I have some treasures packed in boxes somewhere from my husband’s trip to Israel which is when he experienced his call to ministry. What if I displayed those items and Tim had a chance to share with people his story when they visit our home?

Proverbs 14:4

Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.

Victoria explains that it takes work to take care of our things and when we take care of our things we are demonstrating good stewardship. She also explains that when you want something new for the home, you are going to need to work to pay for it. “If we are not willing to put in the work, we cannot expect to benefit.”

Proverbs 25:24

It is better to dwell on the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.

After explaining how to create harmony design-wise, Victoria cautions that no matter how harmonious our décor is, “if you are a contentious and angry woman, there is no one on earth who will want to live there with you.” This was convicting. I need to make sure that I have a peaceful spirit so that I can have a peaceful home.

At the moment we are in the midst of moving to another home in our town. When I set up the next home, I will take the time to apply wisdom to the style and décor of the home as a reflection of God who is beautiful, creative, peace, and joy. I’m thankful to Victoria who helped me see God’s desire that I use wisdom not just in my soul, but in my living space as well.

How do you do with applying wisdom to the design of your home? Comment below!

Further reading:

8 comments

  1. I know you knew I’d love this post, but I have never thought about my home being a reflection of the beauty of God. My garden, yes. My attitude, yes. The way I treat others, absolutely a reflection of God. And while I have taken time in decorating my home in a way that makes me happy, it is also generally very cluttered in spots. Maybe if I use more intention in keeping those trouble spots cleaned up, instead of letting the mess make me feel anxious and avoiding it, I can keep that mess at bay!

    Thanks for the new perspective, Rachel!

    Reply

    • You are welcome, Jen. I had been thinking about that concept anyway because of going to the Worship through the Arts service lately and how artwork reflects God’s glory. So it was neat to think about it bringing that concept into my home and the house itself being like a blank canvas for that art. I usually get hung up on waiting for the perfect thing so I think with the next house I will try to just set something up and not leave so much blank space like I did here.

      Reply

  2. Yes, I love having a nice, clean, and peaceful home. And yet I don’t like doing the work it takes to keep it that way. I know when I do the work I’m more at peace. Great post, simple tips. Many Thanks 8)

    Reply

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