Welcoming the Holy Spirit into Your Home

When my husband and I bought our first home, the artist in me came out. I painted each room a vibrant color and adorned the windows with colorful patterned curtains. The rug in the family room alone represented half of the color wheel. One day my husband gently made a comment about how too much visual “noise” brought out his ADHD.

Now you tell me this! I thought. He remarked that having fewer things to look at helped him focus better. It reminded me of an artist I had heard about who had his entire art studio plain white. It was as if the whole office was a blank canvas waiting new ideas. With this new mindset, over the past few years I have repainted the interior of the house in neutral colors. I must admit my husband was right; it is more relaxing.

Interior design is not my area of expertise. I love colors, but the ability to use colors to complement other colors within a room sounds like an expensive science experiment to me. I have heard that studies have been done that certain colors trigger different feelings. A professional home interior would also state that different shapes and textiles and how they are combined can change the feel of a room. also claim that different shapes and textiles can also change the feel of a room.

My husband and I decided to start homeschooling our three children, so I have been contemplating the concepts of interior design once again as I create a homeschool room. There need to be some vibrant colors that appeal to children (and me!), but in order to prevent the space from feeling overly busy there needs to be a balance. I have compromised by having a neutral wall and curtains with colorful drawers and posters.

What’s That Smell?

Not only is our sense of sight affected by a room’s atmosphere but so are our senses of hearing and smell. Some people play music throughout the day to relieve stress. At times when my children feel restless or aggravated, I have tried turning on worship music in hopes of changing the ambiance. This might work wonderfully for some families, but for ours, it just raised the noise volume. Since music did not work out, I am experimenting with sense of smell. I just purchased plug-in air-fresheners. Who knew that peach and lavender could smell so heavenly? A simple air-freshener has made our homeschool room more inviting.

A Change in Mentality

Since we have decided to homeschool, I am more aware of learning opportunities for my children. For example, last week our street was blocked with machinery and men cutting down trees. I decided to take the kids on a walk to investigate. We kept a safe distance and were able to watch how the men used a crane to lift the heavy branches and feed them through a wood chopper. We learned about how trees are cut down, why they are cut, and what is done with the cut branches.

But more important than creating an atmosphere of learning, I’m working hard to encourage an atmosphere of spiritual growth.  I try to look for opportunities to show Jesus to my children in small ways. When I hear a bird singing from the treetop, I say something like, “That bird sings so prettily. The Lord gave him that voice. I’m glad God made the birds for us to enjoy.” Unlike the overly vibrant walls that seemed to scream, “Be inspired!” I sometimes simply attempt to lead my children to Christ by setting an example, appreciating the beauty God has given us.

A Welcoming Attitude

I know that more than paint color and air-fresheners, my attitude has an effect on the atmosphere of our home. Sometimes my heart gets filled with negativity, and I have to let God clean it and replace it with some peaches and lavender (or forgiveness and grace). I might not play worship music throughout the day, but I want the song “Holy Spirit” by Jesus Culture to be the song of our house. The chorus goes:

“Holy Spirit, you are welcome here.
Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere.
Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for:
To be overcome by your presence, Lord.”

My desire is that the Holy Spirit will feel welcomed in our house and that our actions will bring him glory. I encourage you, whether or not you have children, a spouse, or even a house, let your heart be a place where the Holy Spirit is welcome. God is not impressed with a beautiful appearance; he knows our hearts and loves us anyway.

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” (Romans 8:26 ESV)

Audrey Guerne has sanctification in overdrive thanks to her three young children. She and her husband of six years are working out their salvation with fear, trembling, and laughter. In her writing, Audrey preaches to herself and invites others to learn from her mistakes and be pointed to the cross. She can be found under the handle Peanut Butter Waffle Mom at AudreyGuerne.Wordpress.com.

Photograph © Element5 Digital, used with permission