My husband and I regularly talk about building a new home. Not that there is anything wrong with our current home, but it’s not our “ever after home.” A few years ago, just a few months before we got married, we put both of our homes on the market (not the best of ideas since the market was starting to really fall). Our original plan was to sell both homes and buy a new home together – we’d even made a contingent offer on another house. Well, like all things, God had other plans for us. My house sold within four days…my husband’s home (now our home) stayed on the market for three months and was only shown once. We decided that now was just not the right time to sell. 

Interestingly enough, we received some pretty valuable feedback regarding our home…and the potential reasons it did not sell. The one that we really took to heart was that we needed a little curb appeal…we needed our home to be as inviting on the outside as it was on the inside. And thanks to Lindsay Lawns, it looks 100% better.

If you’ve ever bought a home, you know that the outside doesn’t always match the inside…and vice versa. We’re all hoping that the inside will live up the expectations we’ve built after seeing the tiny image on our computer screen. The same goes for us as Christians. If our lives were on the “Parade of Homes,” what would people say about our curb appeal? Do our actions and behaviors reflect the contents of our heart? Sure we can talk the talk, but do we walk the walk?

The problem that most of us struggle with, at some point or another, is we don’t know exactly what we should look like. Fortunately, God does not expect us all to be the same. While, he does want us to transform into the image and character of Christ, he certainly doesn’t expect uniformity. We all come with our own convictions and our own opinions – he designed us that way…thank God, because it’d be rather boring if we all acted like puppets. Rather, he wants us to be united.

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.“ – Philippians 2:1-2.

He also wants us to do it without selfishness.
What does this have to do with our own curb appeal?  The extent to which our character aligns with Jesus will be reflected in our willingness to serve other people…to love and serve people in a way that attracts people to us so that we can deflect them into a relationship with Jesus.

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”  – Philippians 2:5-8

This type of love, willingness to serve and obedience is so counter-intuitive to our culture…a culture where it’s all about ME. So, if we really behave in a Christ-like way, we’re going to get some weird looks. We’ll do things way beyond others’ comprehension…give more money than others might think is necessary…quit our jobs to serve…live so radically that others stop and stare. But if we do this…we live a legacy far beyond ourselves – one that is not our own, but HIS.

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” Philippians 2:14-16

Gives a whole new meaning to curb appeal huh? What are you doing about yours? If you would like to hear the original message, click HERE.