Should Christians Use the KonMari Method?
This past week I decided to tune in to the show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix. I’d been hearing everyone talk about it and since I love homemaking, organizing, and keeping a tidy house, I was pretty curious about the show! Today I want to share my thoughts about the show and about whether Christians should use the KonMari method in their homes.
I purchased the book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo a couple years ago and was very excited to read it. But, I only ended up reading about half of it and never really implemented anything from the book. I believe at the time life got crazy and I set the book down never to pick it up again until this week.
I have watched the first two episodes of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo so far and first I wanted to share my thoughts on Marie Kondo. She’s a ball of sunshine. She walks into the scene and her smile is contagious. She really does seem to exude joy.
Delightful is how I would describe her and it’s easy to see why people are drawn to her and to her method of organizing and tidying up.
In her book, decluttering your space really boils down to two principles:
- Keep only those things that spark joy.
- Give everything you keep a permanent place in your home.
Should Christians Practice the KonMari Method?
When Marie Kondo walks into a house on her television show, she tells the owners that she wants to greet the house. And then she proceeds to kneel down on the floor, close her eyes, place her hands on the floor and it looks to me like she’s meditating perhaps. Perhaps she’s praying. I’m not really sure.
However, as Christians we need to be discerning. Treating objects like they have feelings is not a practice that Christians should participate in. Animism is a religious belief that objects possess a distinct spiritual essence. According to Wikipedia, “Potentially, animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, human handiwork and perhaps even words—as animated and alive.”
Later, as the home owners go through their things deciding what sparks joy. If it doesn’t spark joy it should be discarded. Now, let me be clear. There is nothing wrong with finding joy in your belongings. You should love the things you have.
The potential problem I see with this, from a Christian standpoint, is that she says by touching an item we will feel a spark of joy and if we don’t we need to let it go. On the surface, this seems harmless. However, as she believes that all objects have a feelings, are animated and alive, having their own energy, we need to realize that when she says “sparks” she’s talking about energy. So, just be aware and be careful.
When an owner decides an object needs to be tossed Marie Kondo instructs the owner to thank the object she is parting with before putting it into the donation box.
Why is this a problem?
It’s a good thing to be thankful and to practice gratitude! The problem comes when we are thanking objects, or creation, rather than our Creator.
“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” Revelation 4:11
“All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” John 1:3
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians 4:2
“Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Ephesians 5:20
It’s important to remember that Marie Kondo comes from a different culture and a different religious background. In her book, she says:
I once worked as a Shinto shrine maiden for five years. I have loved shrines since I was in grade school and would often drop by our community shrine to pay my respects to the local deity.
Later in the book she talks about how you can set up a shrine or altar in your own home as well as charms and talismans. Obviously, as Christians we should not have shrines in our homes or carry around charms and talismans.
I bring this up because it’s so easy for us to fall prey to false beliefs if we aren’t paying attention. We must test all things by the Word of God.
In her book, Marie Kondo seems to place great importance on things. On page 202, she says, “I can think of no greater happiness in life than to be surrounded only by the things I love. How about you? All you need to do is to get rid of anything that doesn’t touch your heart. There is no simpler way to contentment. What else could it be called but the “magic of tidying up?””
And while there is certainly nothing wrong with being surrounded by nice things, things that make us feel good, ultimately, things are just things. The Bible says:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
Our earthly treasures are only temporary. We cannot take things – houses, money, nice cars, or trendy clothes to heaven with us. In fact, we will never find true happiness in things. True joy come from God.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
Blessing Your Home
Instead of greeting your house and thanking your things for serving a purpose, you can thank God for your home, pray and ask Him to bless your home and all who enter. Ask Him to give you a heart of gratitude and contentment.
You could pray Psalm 122:6-8 over your home which says:
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
Or pray 2 Samuel 7:28-29 which says:
“And now, O Lord GOD, You are God! Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord GOD, have spoken, and with Your blessing the house of Your servant will be blessed forever.”
Organizing Your Space with Marie Kondo
So, now that I’ve talked about a few of my concerns, let’s talk about what I do love about the KonMari Method. I love how she teaches us to be more aware of what we own. Her method of decluttering is very simple.
If an item sparks joy, keep it. Everything else needs to go.
Of course, this is simple in theory. It’s a lot harder and even emotionally painful to go through everything you own and make hard decisions.
She divides the home into five sections:
- Clothing
- Books
- Papers
- Komono – Miscellaneous
- Sentimental Items
She says to go through the items in your home in the correct order: clothing, books, papers, komono or miscellaneous items, and sentimental items.
Keep those things that spark joy when you pick them up. You begin by placing everything from one category into a pile or piles to sort. So, for instance, remove all of your clothing from your closet and drawers and put them on your bed. Pick up each item and only keep those things you really love or find useful – those items that spark joy. Once you have finished sorting one category you can move on to the next.
Discard everything that does not spark joy. Items that don’t fit, are broken, stained, unusable, or have have long since served their purpose should either be thrown away, donated, or sold.
How to Declutter for Good
I spent some time this weekend decluttering all my clothes that don’t spark joy as Marie Kondo instructs.
I’ve found over the years that decluttering is something I find myself doing on a regular basis. It’s rather unfortunate. However, over the last couple years as I have slowly gone through my house purging stuff we no longer use, want, or need that I am more selective when I do go shopping. I don’t buy things just because they are cheap or a good deal. I’m very careful about the clothing I purchase. I make sure every piece of clothing I bring home is something that makes me feel pretty when I put it on. If it’s just so-so I don’t buy it.
I love how Marie Kondo encourages us to be thoughtful in our purchases. I also love how she encourages us to care for our belongings well, giving each item value. She reminds us that when we bring things into our home that we should be mindful instead of careless.
When I read her book a couple years ago this is probably one of the biggest take aways that I had – to be thoughtful in my purchases and only buy things that really made me feel good. If something doesn’t fit just right, it doesn’t come home with me!
Today as I cleaned out my closet and drawers for the first time in a couple years, I realized that I was hanging on to clothes that were too big for me. I’ve lost weight over the last couple of years and I still had clothing that was two or three sizes to big for me.
In the back of my mind I thought I would save them in case I gained weight again. A better mindset is to believe I will continue to be active, stay physically fit, and eat healthy so that I don’t put on weight my body doesn’t need.
Those clothes that were too big for me? Didn’t spark joy.
The decluttering process, according to Marie Kondo, is something you can do once and never have to do again. Is this really possible?
On her website she lists six rules for decluttering:
- Commit yourself to tidying up.
- Imagine your ideal lifestyle.
- Finish discarding first.
- Tidy by category, not location.
- Follow the right order.
- Ask yourself if it sparks joy.
In her book Marie says, “I can tell you from experience that you will never get your house in order if you only clean up half heartedly…
“If you can’t feel relaxed in a clean and tidy room, try confronting your feeling of anxiety. It may shed light on what is really bothering you. When your room is clean and uncluttered, you have no choice but to examine your inner state… From the moment you start tidying, you will be compelled to reset your life. As a result your life will change. That’s why the task of putting your house in order should be done quickly.” (p. 19)
We hold on to stuff for lots of different reasons.
As I hold onto shame, I also hold onto stuff – stuff that tells me I’m not worthy of more than a cluttered, messy life.
As I hold onto regrets, I also hold onto stuff – stuff that tells me I routinely make bad choices – like that pair of jeans that just doesn’t fit right.
As I hold onto bitterness, I also hold onto stuff – stuff that keeps my bedroom from being a sanctuary for my marriage.
As I hold onto bad habits, I also hold onto stuff – stuff that tells me I’ll never be more than my present reality.
I am convinced that having less stuff will mean more joy. I am convinced that simplifying my life will mean less stress. I am convinced that getting rid of the clutter in my heart will lead to less clutter in my house.
Change isn’t easy, but it is possible. And with God ALL things are possible.
related: What are you holding on to?
The Problem with Clutter and Storage Containers
People spend so much money buying containers to store their stuff. In fact, here in America, people rent storage units just so they can store stuff they aren’t currently using!
Marie Kondo makes a profound statement in her book:
“Putting things away creates the illusion that the clutter problem has been solved. But sooner or later, all the storage units are full, the room once again overflows with things, and some new and “easy” storage method becomes necessary, creating a negative spiral…
We need to resist storing our belongings until we have finished identifying what we really want and need to keep…When we disperse storage of a particular item throughout the house and tidy one place at a time, we can never grasp the overall volume and therefore can never finish. To escape this negative spiral, tidy by category, not by space.” (pp. 23-25)
My personal goal as we are currently renovating our house and I’ve been forced to move everything from closets, bookshelves, and rooms is to have space with nothing in it. I want to have visual space when I open a closet or cupboard. I don’t want to see stuff overflowing on shelves.
Marie Kondo says that decluttering should be a special event. Something you set aside time to do all at once. And you don’t stop until you are done – even if it takes a few months. The result she claims is that you never have to do it again.
Because It’s already Tidy
She says, “I never tidy my room. Why? Because it is already tidy. The only tidying I do is once or sometimes twice a year and for a total of about one hour each time… I feel happy and content. I have time to experience bliss in my quiet space, where even the air feels fresh and clean; time to sit and sip herbal tea while I reflect on my day.”
I have to say that the idea of never having to put away clutter and stuff ever again is very appealing which is probably why millions of copies of her book have been sold!
The Importance of Discarding
Discarding is really the first step in decluttering your home for good. Go through each category of your belongings in order and discard everything you don’t absolutely love or need.
If you want to clean less, you need to own less stuff to clean.
It’s really that simple.
Sometimes I wonder how many hours of my life have been wasted putting things away. Moving things to another place. Cleaning things that hold no real value to me. Do you really need 12 plates, 10 pots, 20 glasses? Only you know the answer to that question. But the more you own, the more you have to clean, dust, and polish.
3 Steps to Decluttering
1. Choose the category you want to declutter. Again here is the correct order to declutter according to Marie Kondo:
- Clothing
- Books
- Papers
- Komono – Miscellaneous
- Sentimental Items
2. Marie Kondo says ask yourself one question: Does this item spark joy?
What does she mean by spark joy? In this article, found in Parade Magazine, Marie says, “The best way to identify what does or doesn’t bring you joy is to compare. In the beginning, unless your feelings are very black-and-white, it’s hard to decide if something brings joy when you look at it by itself. When you compare it with a bunch of other things, however, your feelings become clear. This is why it’s so important to sort only one category at a time, starting with clothing.”
related: Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
Such great advice! By following this method of discarding, you will find it easier to only keep those things you really love.
When I declutter, I usually ask myself a few other questions, but I’m sure Marie would disagree:
- Is this item still useful?
- Do I really need this item?
- Is this item adding to the quality of my life?
- Do I love this item?
- Is this item of sentimental value? Why?
- Could someone use this item more than me?
- Could I use something else in it’s place?
- Do I have more of this item than I really need?
- Is it broken?
related: How to Deal with Clutter
3. Make a decision. Quickly. Don’t overthink. Just make a decision. Only keep those things that truly bring you joy, are necessary to the function of your household, or are very special to you.
If everything is special to you, then it may be time to figure out why you are emotionally attached to so many things. It’s time to say yes to those things that really matter and let go of things that are really keeping you in bondage.
Remember, change doesn’t happen over night. This process may be painful at times. It may be hard. It may bring you to your knees. That’s okay! Making hard changes is – hard! But in the end, not only will we find respite from the world in our homes, we will also find respite for our weary hearts!
Everything in It’s Place
Once you have discarded all of your unnecessary items, it’s time to assign each item you own a special place in your home. If you have more books that fit on your shelves for instance, you may need to purge even more.
When you use an item, put it back in its special place as soon as you are done using it.
Don’t set it down, put it away.
She says, “The reason every item must have a designated place is because the existence of an item without a home multiplies the chances that your space will become cluttered again… One of the main reasons for rebound is the failure to designate a spot for each item.” (p. 132)
Rebounding… is what she calls falling back into the clutter habit. When every item in your home don’t have a designated place to live clutter returns.
Piles of clutter represent unmade decisions or an act of procrastination. When you set the mail down on the kitchen counter and it piles up, it’s an unmade a decision. When you toss your clothes over the back of the chair next to your bed you are procrastinating putting the clothes into the laundry hamper.
Breaking the clutter habit requires the self discipline to put things away as soon as you are done using them. Self discipline is also needed to make decisions immediately instead of putting off the decision making process.
How to Fold Your Clothes the KonMari Way
Marie Kondo has a special folding method that I think I’m going to really love. I tried it today and love the way my drawers look! Keeping your drawers tidy is part of the KonMari Method. It’s important that you keep only what you need and what you have room to keep. Drawers overflowing and crammed with too many things is not part of the KonMari Method!
She also encourages the use of dividers inside your drawers and on your shelves. I find this to be very practical advice!
I cleaned out my closet today and my chest of drawers. I gave this folding and filing technique a try today as I cleaned out my drawers and I have to say, being able to see all of my garments without digging through a stack is so much easier and pleasant to look at!
Keeping it in Perspective
Again, remember that as Christians, our treasures are not found on this earth. Instead, we have a heavenly home waiting for us and we don’t need to spend time fretting over clutter.
“And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!” Matthew 6:28-30
Changing Your Habits
- Only buy things you really need. And when you need something new, make sure it’s something you love.
- Discard things that have served their purpose but are no longer loved on a regular basis. If you are doing the laundry and realize a piece of clothing is no longer suitable or enjoyable to wear, go ahead and put it into a donation box right away.
- Make a habit of going through your clothes each season and discard those things you haven’t worn.
- When you make a purchase, designate a place for that new item when you get home. Don’t set it down and think about it later. Do it right away.
Being Disciplined at Home
A few months ago I realized that it’s not clutter that is the real problem. It’s self discipline. We have too much clutter because we don’t have self discipline when we shop. We have too much clutter because we don’t have the self discipline we need to put it away instead of setting it down.
Self discipline is the key to maintaining a home that is {mostly} tidy all the time.
When Marie Kondo says she never tidies her house because it’s already tidy, I know that she has the self discipline to put her things away. She doesn’t toss her clothes over the back of a chair when she undresses. She puts them away. She doesn’t leave her purse cluttered for weeks at a time, she cleans out her purse at the end of every day.
If you often feel discouraged and overwhelmed by homemaking, then you probably lack self-discipline in some areas of your life.
Having self discipline basically means that you do what you know needs to be done even when you don’t feel like it. You may be disciplined in some areas of your life and need some improvement in others. The good news is that it is possible to cultivate a heart of discipline.
The fact is, messiness is really just a way of life for a lot of us. We have bad habits. Bad habits that pile up like paper clutter and shoes on the mudroom floor. Or laundry. Laundry piles up way to fast!
Establishing good habits is the key to overcoming messiness. And good habits begin with self-discipline. I believe you can train yourself to be self-disciplined at home.
The Disciplined Homemaker is a six week course that helps you cultivate self discipline at home. I’d love to have you join me – the course opens again on January 28, 2019!
Learn more about The Disciplined Homemaker here.
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