Cleanliness next to Godliness?

It's a rare occasion that I won't finish a book. I value intellectual curiosity. I want to see through other people's eyes, to see if I can follow their logic, or to see where it breaks down for me. I want to be open learning new things, evaluating my own ideas and beliefs, and admit to being wrong occasionally. Then there are the times when something is truly rotten in the state of Denmark. 

There are a few beliefs that I hold in a "closed hand," the foundational tenants of our faith that unify. The rest are "open-handed," we can discuss, debate, and agree to disagree. (Eschatology? Hymns vs. contemporary? Green carpet vs. red carpet?) In less than one chapter of this book, however, the Spirit flagged false theology--the underpinnings of this book were corrupted. 

It was a classic example the wolf in sheep's clothing. It comes with a morsel of truth. The book claimed to be about the "Christ-centered home" and ways to cultivate faith inside family culture. It opened with the author sharing how she read the four gospel accounts to see how Jesus did ministry inside people's homes while on Earth. The first chapter started with the story of Zacchaeus. No doubt we could probably learn a few things about Christ in our homes from such a study of the gospels, but that's not where the author went.

Do you have Bible verses plastered on your walls, images/icons of Jesus throughout the home, is your laundry finished, the dishes clean, don't you know your house has to spic and pan for Jesus to feel comfortable visiting your home? The amount of guilt and shame laced into the "reflection" questions was mind-boggling, and the rest of the book was laid out to be the 12-step formula for making sure Jesus would actually want to walk in your front door rather than passing you over for someone with better housekeeping and decor skills. o.0 

That I personally appreciate keeping a tidier home doesn't mean I've somehow leveled up as a Christian. I don't gain spiritual brownie points by having Scripture on the walls. To quote Philip Yancey: "Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more. And grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us less." 

I think Jesus would be much more concerned about our hearts than our clutter. In fact, He spoke pretty plainly how He will show up at our doors: "For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me."

When I went to mark the book off my GoodReads list as not worth finishing, I noticed a tiny little abbreviation in the author's bio that I hadn't seen in the ebook--LDS. She was Mormon. It made me grieve for all the women who read this book and found yet another burden to bear added to the Gospel. So close, yet so far away.

Our faith should shape the way we live at home and in the world. I've read several good books on the subject that handle the Gospel well. But the motivation behind it makes all the difference. As Dallas Willard succinctly summarized: "Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action." Jesus calls His yoke easy and light, and while a yoke is for working animals, we have rest for our souls.