Why I Stopped Striving for a Pinterest-Perfect Home |

In this post: Practical guidance and encouragement to embrace biblical homemaking and create a home that honors God. Bonus–Download the free Flourishing Homemaker’s Blueprint.

The faux shiplap wall in my dining room is my favorite wall in my house. I got the inspiration from Pinterest, and my husband made it happen.

A farmhouse-themed wall is just one of the Pinterest projects we’ve completed over the years. I have multiple Pinterest boards filled with DIY projects, decor ideas, paint colors, and house plans.

I could never do them all in three lifetimes!

Pinterest is an amazing tool. (In fact, you may have found this post there–YAY!) But it can also be a means of creating discontent and ingratitude in our lives.

I live in a perfectly acceptable home. Sure, it could use some upgrades, and my husband and I love to do home improvement projects together.

However, it’s really easy to get carried away. One Pinterest project leads to another, and it’s never enough.

kitchen island with a vase of flowers — Your home can be less than perfect, but still beautiful.

Eventually, I spend so much time looking at other people’s “perfect” homes on the internet, that I forget how much I love my less-than-perfect one right here.

Instead of fueling me with inspiring ideas to improve my house, I allow Pinterest to fill me with discontent, exhaustion, and comparison.

Then, my home becomes a burden instead of the blessing God meant it to be. There is a better way.

The Problem with Pinterest Perfection

I could scroll Pinterest for hours. It seems like a guilt-free escape from the daily struggles of life.

After all, it’s much more fun to look at someone else’s spotless, beautiful kitchen than to go and clean my own.

Pinterest is a wonderful tool. But it’s important to keep it in its place. The algorithm is amazing and does its job well.

Did you search for “closet organization ideas?” Your feed will instantly be filled with “25, or 37, or 63 tips to organize your messy closet once and for all.”

Scrolling Pinterest is so inspirational. But we must remember that the pictures on there are highlight reels.

No one’s life is perfect, and no one’s home is organized, spotless, and beautifully styled at all times.

When I’m scrolling, I don’t see what’s behind the camera. I only see what the pinner wants me to see.

Then, I put down my phone and look at my real-life home. It’s a great house, and it’s full of love and joy. But it’s also full of our family.

People live here, and it looks like we live here. You won’t see pictures of my pantry or living room on any Pinterest account!

When I spend time looking at Pinterest, I feel the pressure to have a spotless home, styled shelves, and picture-perfect routines.

Eventually, the inspiration ends, and the discontentment settles in. Then, instead of being a blessing, my home becomes a burden.

Instead of joy, my heart is filled with comparison, discouragement, and striving over serving.

cozy couch with a blanket — Sometimes good enough is good enough.

Signs You’re Chasing Pinterest Perfection

How do you know if you’ve crossed from inspiration to perfection-seeking? Here are some signs:

You redo chores that were “good enough.”
You feel like your home never measures up.
You feel behind while scrolling online.
You’re always tired and feel like you never do enough.

The Heart Shift: From Performance to Purpose

I don’t know about you, but people very rarely (read: never) drop by my house unannounced. As for overnight guests, my dad comes to visit once or twice a year.

So, why am I always stressed about what other people would think about my house? My family lives here every day. My home should be welcoming for guests, but most importantly, it should be welcoming for our family.

If my husband and sons don’t feel at home here, then I’ve missed the point of Biblical homemaking.

I realized this one day as I was (once again) freaking out about the number of Lego in our family room. But my boys play with those Lego every day. It seems pointless to make them put away something they use all the time in order to please an imaginary person who may or may not come.

God opened my eyes to the fact that I was causing stress and an atmosphere of discontent in my home. Striving for this perfect home aesthetic was stealing my joy.

In the pursuit of perfection, I had lost the joy of Who I was serving. As a Christian, I know that ultimately, everything I do is for God.

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Colossians 3:23

Our homes are a gift from God. They aren’t meant to be a burden to us, but a means to serve God.

God doesn’t call us to a perfect home, but a purposeful one.

What My Home Looks Like Now (And Why I Love It More)

If you walk in my door right now, the first thing you’ll notice is our large kitchen island. Everyone comments on it, and it was one of the things that drew us to this home.

We spend so much time at and around that island. It’s the hub of our home. So, sometimes it’s a little messy.

We homeschool there, eat most of our meals there, and have lots of conversations. Unfortunately, we also pile our mail there, stack our dirty dishes there, and often leave there to “out away later.”

This island causes me a lot of stress. But it’s also a space that brings our family together.

Our family room has a less-than-beautiful reclining couch, Lego in the floor, and our homeschool materials on a shelf. Definitely not the space we want people to see on social media.

Yes, our home looks lived in. And House Beautiful won’t be calling us anytime soon. But we are so much happier.

My family is comfortable here in our home. We keep our house clean for the most part–but it’s not always tidy. We don’t feel stressed out when life gets a little messy.

All of us enjoy reading, and we have tons of books. Sometimes, they’re neatly styled on the shelves. Other times, there are novels, storybooks, and devotionals piled on the table or couch.

We don’t have to move around decorative pillows to cuddle on the couch for movie nights. Instead, there are quilts ready to snuggle under–if they aren’t being used for blanket forts somewhere else in the house.

My house isn’t perfect. But it’s mine, and I love it in all of its imperfections.

pile of books with a spoon and coffee cup — Piles of books on a table are always a good thing!

3 Encouraging Reminders for the Christian Homemaker

If you’re like me, your house isn’t perfect either. But it’s real.

A real house has knicks and dings. Lived-in houses have some doors that squeak and others that stick when you try to open or close them.

Real homes have cabinets you don’t want to open, since things may fall out. They have overstuffed closets that we promise we’re going to organize “when things slow down.”

If you feel like your home doesn’t measure up to the Pinterest standard, here are three things you need to know.

1. You’re not failing if your home doesn’t look like a magazine.

I bought my first home decor magazine when I was still a teenager, years before getting married and having a home. While it seems impossible, Pinterest wasn’t even a thing then.

I dreamed of having a beautiful, organized home like I saw in those pages. When I first discovered Pinterest, it was like having my favorite magazine at my fingertips all the time.

All of us want a home that’s welcoming and friendly. But somewhere along the way to creating spaces our families love, we missed the mark.

A magazine home is wonderful, but we don’t live in those pages. We have real families with real needs. If your home meets the needs of your family it’s perfect just the way that it is.

If your home welcomes friends and neighbors and allows you to share the gospel through the ministry of hospitality, it’s just right.

2. A joyful heart is more beautiful than a freestanding soaker tub.

The Bible tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. (Nehemiah 8:10) Wouldn’t it make sense, then, that we are weak if we don’t have joy?

Our enemy, Satan, knows he can make us weaker if we aren’t joyful. And nothing steals joy faster than discontentment.

Looking at Pinterest or reading magazines isn’t sinful. However, becoming discontent with what we have is sinful.

When I spend all of my time dwelling on the things someone else has that I don’t have, it’s easy to forget all of my blessings.

Our master bathroom has a huge shower that is wonderful to use. But it doesn’t have a tub.

I dream of having a freestanding soaker tub in my bathroom. Right now, if I want to relax in the bath, I have to use the little one in my son’s bathroom. Not ideal.

My house is missing this feature I’d love to have. But I cannot allow what I don’t have to steal my joy.

Thinking about things I don’t have will only make me feel ungrateful for the things I do have.

A joyful heart is more important than having my dream soaker tub.

two children playing with Lego — Toys underfoot are often a sign of happy kids.

3. Your homemaking is Kingdom work—even with toys underfoot.

Do we really believe what the Bible says? Like the part where it says, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.”

Even these little things that we do are important. God gave us these homes and these families. Don’t take that lightly.

Being a Christian homemaker is a gift from God. He blessed us to have homes and families.

But we also have a responsibility to care for these blessings. Cleaning floors and washing dishes don’t seem like they matter in the light of eternity.

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 1 Timothy 1:12

If we see homemaking as a ministry, we can understand that it does matter for eternity. Treat your home and family like a ministry, and soon you’ll see the importance of everything you do.

Embrace Grace as a Christian Homemaker

Here’s a gentle reminder for you today: you don’t have to earn God’s love by how tidy your house is.

God has called you to a special calling. He entrusted you with a home and family to care for and love. In addition to that, He also promised to be with you.

Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. I Thessalonians 5:24

How amazing is that? He called you to do the job, and then He helps you to do it.

Grab your Christian Homemaking Guide, take a deep breath, and move forward with purpose. Stop stressing out about a home that doesn’t measure up to Pinterest standards.

Cultivate a home that serves your family and honors God. Even if it’s not perfect.