Is Your House Ready For Company?

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

—Psalm 139:23

“I should have company more often,” I heard myself say, as I recounted to my friend my efforts to make my house presentable for my family dinner.

I had stressed over hosting the event ever since my siblings and I came up with the idea back in March—the idea of taking turns hosting a dinner for all of us, including Mom and Dad. With October being my month, I had seven months to get used to the idea of opening my home to everyone. Usually, I don’t entertain. My house is small, which makes it difficult to accommodate large groups. But there are other reasons. My house is not in tip-top shape. All summer I agonized over what needed to be done before my family came knocking: paint, install new flooring, yard work, clean the siding, stain the deck, scrub the porch, and more. All summer I agonized over not having the money, the energy, or the know-how to do it all. I realized that some of the jobs had to be crossed off the list. But still, I wanted my house to look nice for the get-together.

I put my problem-solving skills to work and came up with creative ways to disguise the not-so-attractive areas of my home. I threw area rugs over carpet stains and chipped tile and hung pictures over marred walls and a curtain over a doorway destroyed by the devouring dog. I rearranged furniture and packed the closets full to make more room in the living areas. I hauled stuff to the attic and stuff out of the attic, like the antique wooden high chair that my siblings and I used as infants. I discovered the magic in the Magic Eraser and erased marks on walls and painted-wood floors and turned my rarely-used office into an overflow dining area. I decorated with accessories from the discount store and flowers and candles and seasonal fruit. In the end, I was proud of how my house turned out.

My parents came over ahead of time and brought extra folding chairs. Dad helped me add a leaf to the table, while Mom inspected the house, peeking into every room. I passed the test and was finally ready for company.

When my family members entered, I gave them the “grand tour.” But I was careful not to open the closets. One by one, they complimented me on how nice everything looked. Their kind words were good for my self-esteem, and their company was good for my soul. Eventually, I owned up to my creative camouflage.

I wonder if I can be equally as honest about my spiritual house. I heard my pastor say, “Self-esteem is trying to deal with the outside of you while that deep-seated insecurity is inside of you. At the heart of insecurity is the fear of rejection.”

For years, my insecurity about what others would think of me if my house wasn’t perfect kept me from entertaining. When October rolled around, the same insecurity drove me to furiously gloss and glaze the open areas of my home, while dross and dreck lodged behind locked doors.

How does insecurity find its way inside of us? Haunting words from the past? Painful experiences? Former failures? No matter the case, our insecurities are one of the enemy’s finest weapons. He strategically plays on them to debilitate us, stifling God’s purpose for our lives. It’s his job description: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10a). He “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8b).

He looks for weaknesses in our walls, which give entrance to our house and allow him to wreak havoc in our lives and steal our dreams. We must be sober-minded and watchful (1 Peter 5:8a). Like Nehemiah who carefully surveyed the broken walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2), we must examine our hearts for weaknesses, insecurities, and sin.

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test” (2 Corinthians 13:5)?

Passing the “white glove” test is great when preparing for company, but when Jesus is our company, we have passed the “faith” test. Our identity is in Him. It’s time to lose the insecurities and come clean about all that we’ve shoved in the closet. After all, nothing is hidden from Him anyway—all is “laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).

What have you stuffed in the musty attic? What have you tucked away? Let us give account to Him and confess our sins, for “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Though our sins are like scarlet, we will pass the “white as snow” test (Isaiah 1:18).

Confessing my creative camouflage to my family was easy, because I’m close to them. In the end, I even gave them access to areas, which were at first off-limits. Having a close relationship with God makes confession to Him easy, as well. Because we are loved and accepted by Him, we can invite Him to double-check those dark places of our heart without any fear of rejection: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts” (Psalm 139:23).

Allow Him to shine His searchlight into every nook and cranny of your heart, illuminating all those problem areas. Trust Him with the cleaning and the renovation. He will bind up all the broken places (Psalm 147:3) and give strength to the weak.

Unpack the closets and purge the attic, for more desirable than an heirloom is a legacy of faith to be passed down from one generation to the next one, which takes its place upon the wooden high chair.

Dear God, search me and know my heart (Psalm 139:23). Purge me and make me clean (Psalm 51:7). Replace the junk with joy so radiant that others will be drawn to answer the door when You come knocking (Revelation 3:20). May there be so many You’ll have to add a leaf to heaven’s table. Amen.