In my kitchen, above my sink, hangs a hand-painted wooden sign that reads “farmhouse”. It’s perhaps the most prominent piece of my house stating it’s theme or style—a literal label to reinforce what I hope is the obvious.
There’s certain characteristics I’ve poured into this little haven of mine to encourage a farmhouse look—in all honesty it probably has more of a modern-farmhouse-look rather than the traditional-farmhouse-style but either way it feels like home—cozy and welcoming.
Our house has been an ongoing, slowly evolving project since we moved in five years ago.
The main rooms gradually went from a deep green wall color to a dramatically brighter atmosphere with the help of soft white paint, over the course of a few years.
And last year my husband and I added ceramic tile floor (with a wood look) in the living room, kitchen and dining areas.
Shiplap found its way into the pantry space, which kinda seems to be a staple concept to any newly renovated farmhouse.😆
Even my decor shifted from way too much to basic and uncluttered—requiring lots of trips to the second hand store and a yard sale or two!
All of these personal touches I’ve added for the sole purpose of visually bringing together a farmhouse vibe. Simply put, I just love the look of a farmhouse atmosphere and my guests seem to appreciate it too.
As Christians a similar concept should be true of us — our “spiritual fruit” characteristics should be noticeable to others through the work of the Holy Spirit indwelling within us. People should be able to tell we’re Christians as we share and show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22–23)
When nonbelievers see or witness these things in us they experience Jesus’ example. We won’t get it right every time because sin longs to thrive but the goal is to be always arriving.
We need to be grounded in the sureness of what we’re aiming to convey. Getting into God’s word, listening to worship music, spending time in fellowship with other believers, and prayer—all of these things encourage us to know and love God. The outcome moves us to grow, nurture, and appreciate our relationship with the Holy Spirit and to expose the fruits of the spirit toward ourselves and in our interactions with others.
With my house, I’ve aimed to give it a farmhouse feel and I’m pretty confident most visitors get that idea when they step inside. With my faith, however, my hope is that I’m fixated on a Christian theme with the characteristics of spiritual fruit setting the tone, and pointing others to Christ.
In keeping with the analogy of this post we probably all have a bit of “housework” we could do. Let’s not waste another moment—our world is in desperate need of Christ-centered neighbors willing to open the doors of their heart to any and everyone.
If you have time go listen to the old hymn “They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love” for a little extra motivation!! I’ll be doing the same!
Have a blessed weekend sweet friends.❤️
For His Purpose 