Orderliness

"Let all things be done decently and in order." 1 Corinthians 14:40

I am definitely not the messiest of people, but I've been contemplating this area in my life and do see that there is need for improvement in the little areas. You know...the junk draw or closet or deck that starts to pile high because of the convenience of putting things there. So as I look around and see these things, I have started to ask myself, "would Jesus have a junk draw...would Jesus let things pile high?" Well, I don't think there will be clutter in heaven so I've decided that since my home should be a foretaste of heaven, I better clean up even the small areas in my life that are a mess.

Here are a few things that are helping me in this area:

1. Having a schedule! This helps tremendously because there are times in the day for everything. And I include my kids when we clean or do chores or declutter or organize, etc. They see that I'm making efforts to keep all areas of my life "decent and in order."

2. Being all ready for the day when my kids wake up. This way I don't get behind or end up wasting much of the day (although I was so tired I really felt like it today!!).

3. Setting a time limit and working within that time frame. If the job isn't done, we come back to it later or just the next day. This way all my time isn't spent on just one thing. There's time to get everything else in as well.

4. Simplifying! This is a major help. The more things I get rid of, the easier it is keep things looking nice and organized.

"Order is heaven’s first law and the Lord desires his people to give in their homes representations of the order that prevails in heavenly courts. How can we invite Christ into our homes unless all is neat and clean and pure?” (Mind, Character, and Personality, 177)

I don't think this means Christ won't be with us even if our house is a mess...we just all have those days. But I want to try to represent Christ's order in my home, my person, and my life as best I can.