Why should I have an organized home?
Having an organized home enables us to practice hospitality.
First off, let us define and understand what Christian hospitality is and looks like!
"Be hospitable to one another without complaint."
1 Peter 4:9
What is Hospitality? Christian hospitality is...
Not about the extravagance of our entertaining skills or our home’s amenities, but about showing sacrificial love to others.
The Greek word for “hospitality” is “philoxenia”, which translates to “love for strangers.” We ourselves were strangers and sinners rebelling against God, but He brought us near to Him through Christ’s sacrificial love for us on the Cross (Ephesians 2:13). As we consider the great love that God has shown to us, what a joy it is to generously love others through hospitality!
Not about pointing others to look at us or our home, but about pointing them to Christ.
Hospitality is not selfish, but considers what is best for others. As we open our homes to others, we can share about Christ with them, show His love towards them, and put Him on display, not ourselves.
Not about the extravagance of our entertaining skills or our home’s amenities, but about showing sacrificial love to others.
The Greek word for “hospitality” is “philoxenia”, which translates to “love for strangers.” We ourselves were strangers and sinners rebelling against God, but He brought us near to Him through Christ’s sacrificial love for us on the Cross (Ephesians 2:13). As we consider the great love that God has shown to us, what a joy it is to generously love others through hospitality!
Not about pointing others to look at us or our home, but about pointing them to Christ.
Hospitality is not selfish, but considers what is best for others. As we open our homes to others, we can share about Christ with them, show His love towards them, and put Him on display, not ourselves.
How does an organized home enable hospitality?
An organized home contributes to a peaceful, orderly, and joyful atmosphere! It provides an undistracted place where people can fellowship, minister to one another, and be ministered to. Another way that keeping things organized can help you to serve your guests and those you live with is by making sure that items they might need are readily available.
An organized home contributes to a peaceful, orderly, and joyful atmosphere! It provides an undistracted place where people can fellowship, minister to one another, and be ministered to. Another way that keeping things organized can help you to serve your guests and those you live with is by making sure that items they might need are readily available.
Who can show hospitality?
Everyone! Every Christian is to be hospitable and is called to do so out of a thankful and loving heart (Hebrews 3:12, 1 Peter 4:9, Romans 12:13). Even if you don’t have your own home, you can serve and care for whoever you live with or whoever comes into your home, whether it’s people from church, your friends and family, or anyone else!
Everyone! Every Christian is to be hospitable and is called to do so out of a thankful and loving heart (Hebrews 3:12, 1 Peter 4:9, Romans 12:13). Even if you don’t have your own home, you can serve and care for whoever you live with or whoever comes into your home, whether it’s people from church, your friends and family, or anyone else!
Caring for the home is just one way we can serve others and point them to Christ! We can influence the tone and atmosphere of our home through joyful, thankful, and Christ-centered hospitality that ultimately comes from a love for God and seeing our homes as a gift God has given us to steward for His glory! Consider how you can welcome others into your home to eagerly serve the church and evangelize to unbelievers. Whether we minister to spiritual or physical needs, we can serve out of a love that ultimately points to the love of Christ!
4 Practical Tips for Organizing the Home
Here are some practical tips for organizing your home! These suggestions are not rules, but ideas for you to take and adjust depending on what works for the needs of your family and guests!
1) Have a Place for Everything
Can the people in my home easily find what they need?
Organizing the home helps us serve others by making sure our family and guests are cared for. Think about where each item should go intuitively, and what others might need in certain spaces and areas of the home. Would someone else be able to find this item by themselves easily?
Try to put similar items in similar places. For example, all your towels can go into the same closet together and all your toiletries can go under the sink, into cabinets, onto shelves, etc. in the bathroom.
Once you’ve decided where certain items go, try to also keep those designated storage areas consistent! Moving items around all the time can make it difficult for others to find them. If you do make changes, be sure to communicate them with your family!
Organizing the home helps us serve others by making sure our family and guests are cared for. Think about where each item should go intuitively, and what others might need in certain spaces and areas of the home. Would someone else be able to find this item by themselves easily?
Try to put similar items in similar places. For example, all your towels can go into the same closet together and all your toiletries can go under the sink, into cabinets, onto shelves, etc. in the bathroom.
Once you’ve decided where certain items go, try to also keep those designated storage areas consistent! Moving items around all the time can make it difficult for others to find them. If you do make changes, be sure to communicate them with your family!
2) Optimize Space
How can I optimize the space I have?
If you have an unused space, try these tips:
If you don’t have enough space, try to periodically declutter areas or items that you no longer use to free up more room for things that you do need. You can also try different storing methods or containers that allow for better stacking, easier access, and clearer labeling. For example, with matching food containers, store all the lids together and stack the bottoms instead of storing each container with its lid on top. This can save space and make each part easier to access!
If you have an unused space, try these tips:
- Make use of vertical space by adding extra shelves to store more items and to help separate and/or categorize items. Optimize the space by stacking items that are alike and fit into each other.
- Use the empty space underneath items that are elevated, like your hanging clothes. These spaces especially work well for smaller and shorter items that are still easily accessible when stored underneath something! You can also store items in a short drawer to help you access them.
- Look around for unutilized areas with sides and walls where you can add or hang baskets and shelving units. Sometimes this might work well on the side of your fridge or on the doors on your cupboards.
If you don’t have enough space, try to periodically declutter areas or items that you no longer use to free up more room for things that you do need. You can also try different storing methods or containers that allow for better stacking, easier access, and clearer labeling. For example, with matching food containers, store all the lids together and stack the bottoms instead of storing each container with its lid on top. This can save space and make each part easier to access!
3) Have a System
How can I make things easier to find?
Each family might be slightly different, but having an organization system can help make things easier to find in specific areas around your home. Try to stick to the system and keep it simple. Using a complicated system that only you understand or one that you can’t keep up with just goes against the purpose or having a system!
Here are some ideas for organization systems for different items:
Each family might be slightly different, but having an organization system can help make things easier to find in specific areas around your home. Try to stick to the system and keep it simple. Using a complicated system that only you understand or one that you can’t keep up with just goes against the purpose or having a system!
Here are some ideas for organization systems for different items:
- Books
- Would your family prefer for their books to be organized by the author's last name? By topic? By height? By color?
- Common household goods
- Store your more regularly used items in places where it's easier to reach and grab! This might mean that you place it in the front of your shelves, on the top of a low cabinet, or wherever that’s more convenient.
- Perishables and kitchen goods
- Organize by categories, such as putting your fruits in one place, vegetables in one place, spices in one place, and so on.
- It may help to come up with a system to keep track of what’s inside your fridge or pantry to streamline meal prep and reduce waste!
- Track perishables and reduce waste by organizing your food items using a first in, first out system.
4) Think Practically First, Then Aesthetically
How can I serve my family?
Think first about serving others and not so much about having a picture-perfect home or family life. While it doesn’t mean your home can’t look nice, organizing your home should be about cultivating an atmosphere of joyful service! An organized home helps you, your family, and your guests to care for one another and fellowship with others without distractions.
Think first about serving others and not so much about having a picture-perfect home or family life. While it doesn’t mean your home can’t look nice, organizing your home should be about cultivating an atmosphere of joyful service! An organized home helps you, your family, and your guests to care for one another and fellowship with others without distractions.