This past weekend I went pumpkin shopping with Amy. Yes, man card swiped. We looked at lots of different pumpkins. There were big ones and small ones. Orange ones and white ones. Some were smooth and some were bumpy. There were run-of-the-mill pumpkins and there were very peculiar pumpkins. After an exorbitant amount of time scrutinizing the various pumpkins, Amy picked out the apparent perfect ones. We loaded them up, brought them home and set them outside on our front doorway for all to gawk at.

Pumpkins have so many uses. We could have carved them up and roasted the seeds for a scrumptious snack food. We could have gone all Martha Stewart on them and made pies, breads, cookies, tortes and lots of other pumpkin goodies. Or we could have even used the pulp to make a soothing face mask (This stuff is too good to make up. Here’s a pumpkin face mask recipe for you: https://www.beautylish.com/a/vxgpg/diy-pumpkin-face-mask).

But we used the pumpkins as decoration! Is this really the great pumpkin? Because this is how my mind works, I began to think – do we often use God as a mere decoration? Do we simply place God on the doorway of our lives as an ornament for others to see? Do we like to garnish our lives with God but fail to give ourselves completely to Him?

Here are some questions to consider in determining whether God is a mere decoration in our life:

1. Do I spend time with God?

When our boys were little we would buy pumpkins and carve them up into jack-o-lanterns. They were then still placed at our doorway for decoration but the time spent in that activity with the boys was priceless. Ask yourself: Do I spend time with God each day? Do I read the Bible or does it just lie on my coffee table for decoration? Is what people see in my life a result of time spent with God each day or only a prop that is placed out for ornamentation?

2. Do I really pray?

It’s common place when we hear of misfortune and tragedy for us to say, “Our thoughts and prayers are with you.” But ask yourself: Are they really? Do I really take time to pray for others or do I just decorate my social media pages with those words?

3. Do I give myself away?

A pumpkin is best used when it gives itself a way. The seeds, the pulp, and the shell all have very useful purposes. I suppose when fall begins to give way to winter I’ll take the pumpkins that have been on display in front of our house and throw them away knowing that they weren’t used to their greatest potential. Ask yourself, am I allowing God to use me to the fullest? Am I giving my time, talent and treasure away? Or am I simply taking up space in a world that so desperately needs what I have to offer?

Just some of my thoughts. What would you add?