How to Have Presence: Biblical Hygge
Hygge (pronounced as “hoo-guh”): Is invoking or fostering a sense of coziness, contentment, and well-being
Presence in Hygge is about bringing contentment and comfort to all those around you based off of how you live your own life. There are five main parts of Hygge: comfort, togetherness, simplicity, warmth, and presence. The Christian lifestyle should be focused on all of these. So we will cover one of the five parts of Hygge per week for the month of February to learn how these concepts should be found in the lifestyle that a Christian leads. Last week we covered the fourth part - Warmth. This last week we will be learning about - Presence. If you want to learn the final way of how to be more presence in your own life, keep reading.
#1. Presence in Souls:
Bible Verse: Luke 10:38-42 - “Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
In the Danish culture of fostering a lifestyle of Hygge, people are at the center of that lifestyle. It is all about living your life in a way that makes others feel comfortable, and your own life is one of peace and contentment. The Danish strive to bring others into their homes, and make them feel belonging and peace. Do we live our lives in a way that bring peace and belonging to others? We as Christians actually have the most belonging out of anyone because we have Heaven to look forward to! We know that we are more than any hardship or feelings of doubt because we have a SOUL, and that Souls is running the race to get to Heaven. Do we think about our Soul as more than just our physical bodies? Our physical bodies will perish one day, and how we used our time on Earth will determine where our Soul ends up. The most important question out of this whole month is this: Do we see OTHERS as Souls? Stop and ask yourself this question, be honest! And I don’t just mean kind of understanding that they are Souls, but I mean KNOWING it and then LIVING in a different way because of that knowledge! When we KNOW something is true, we PROVE it through action. Are we living our lives in a way that proves we know that time is running out, and we need to get all the Souls home in Heaven with us? Are we living our lives in a way where we see others as Souls, so we serve them like how Jesus would. If Jesus loves and cares for everyone? Shouldn’t we? He saw ALL people as ones with Souls, and because of that He acted like there wasn’t much time left and tried to get all those He came in contact with pointed towards Heaven. Do we SEE Souls like how Jesus does?
During mine and my husband’s time at the Bear Valley Bible Institute, we were told of the idea to “Think Souls.” It shows the idea of when you have a focus and importance of other people’s Souls, then you will work harder and love harder. Are we doing that? Are we bringing others to Jesus to help them in their own walks with God? Are we showing love to others because God showed love to us? Are we seeing value in those who talk bad about us, because that is someone who God loves deeply? Are we treating everyone as a Soul? All humans will mess up and say things they shouldn’t, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that they have a Soul, and that Soul will be going to Heaven or Hell. Will we help ALL Souls in our lives get to Heaven? Will we SEE Souls, and not just people?
Ideas for Finding Presence in Souls:
Spend more time in God’s Word. The more time you spend, the more you will start to look at like through a Jesus lens.
Pray for you to start seeing others Souls, and to start seeing the value that Jesus sees in everyone you meet.
Start trying to think of the good qualities that each person has, even with the people that you don’t get along with. Every single person has potential in God’s eyes.
Pray for opportunities to focus others on the Cross instead of “self.”
Start doing more kind deeds for those you might not know.
Being more aware of others, start trying to notice others, more than your own struggles. When you start noticing others more, then you will start to gain more sympathy for others.
Conclusion:
Bible Verse: Luke 15:3-7 - “So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
In the Hygge lifestyle, no they might not think of the Spiritual Souls. But they do have all of this SO close! They love and care for others, and show genuine love. Do we do all of that as we “Think Souls” by showing genuine love? We as Christians already have a Hygge lifestyle when we choose to live in the way that Jesus calls us to live. Even though you might have never heard of the Danish idea of a Hygge lifestyle, you hopefully can now see how much the Christian lifestyle and Hygge lifestyle are so incredibly similar. The one thing that Hygge doesn’t have that the Christian does, is an end goal. When we have a path and an end goal, we can make all decisions based off of where we want to end up. If we know our end goal is Heaven. Then we must start NOW by working our our relationship with God, our relationship with others, and prioritizing those over everything else in this world. Are we “Thinking Souls” for yourself and for others? Because if you do “Think Souls.” then you will start prioritizing them! So will you embrace the Biblical Hygge Lifestyle to its fullest today?
Ideas for How to Have Biblical Hygge Presence:
Try to go beyond the “small talk”, Ask someone about the things that bring them joy, or the things that bring them stress. Ask them about their spiritual condition.
When you struggle to “like” someone, remind yourself that they are loved by Jesus just as much as you are. This humbling reminder will help you see value in them.
Don’t talk bad or gossip about others, Jesus wouldn’t want you talking that way about someone that He loves!
Start praying for others Souls as you have interactions with people throughout your day.
When you are frustrated at someone, stop and try to find at least three things that you like about that person. Give yourself extra bonus points for coming up with more than three!
Get an accountability partner, not someone to gossip with. Someone that you can keep names anonymous between each other, and you can encourage each other to be more positive and seeing others as Souls.
About the Author: My name is Katie, and I’m a Church of Christ Preacher’s wife in Kentucky. I am also a proud homeschool mom to two brilliant boys. I love to craft, and make and bind my own notebooks. I also make a weekly podcast show called “Just Bible No Fluff",” where I skip all of fluffy extras and hop right into a short yet impactful exegetical study of the scripture. My mission and vision in life is this: “To empower women Spiritually by enhancing their skills in deep Bible study, equipping them to effectively teach the Gospel to others, and guiding them in cultivating Spiritual growth beyond the Church building.”