God is a God of order.
From the beginning, He employed structure. He separated morning from evening, land from water, and man from animal. He accomplished this over the course of six distinct days, and rested on the seventh. The Bible records numerous examples of God’s attention to detail from the measurements of the Ark, to the specifics of the Levitical Laws, to the building of the temple. His Word is full of order.
Jesus’s journey on earth was set around God’s priorities and not His own. In short, He came to do the Father’s will.
Jesus placed great value on the people who came to Him for help, no matter how busy He was. He guarded His time for prayer, made rest a priority, still ministering to His disciples, but the miracles He preformed were all done in an orderly, calm manner. And when Jesus rose from the dead, He folded His grave clothes neatly before leaving the tomb (John 20:7).
I find that this gives me the permission I need to guard my time for the right things because my heart is set on having God’s priorities be my priorities.
When Christ does everything decently and in order, we can take comfort in the fact that He wants us to do the same in our homes.
I learned a great deal in those early years on how to have a simple home. It was important to me that I cultivated a life of simplicity that reflected Christ in as many areas as I could. I wanted all who entered my home to sense the same peace that Jesus gives us, especially for those that are weary or burdened. I wanted to have a landing pad for the saints, so to speak.
Fast forward to today, I am a mama of many. Although my household has grown into the double digits, I continue to pursue the wisdom of women that blazed the trail before me. What a privilege to live in a time period where we are able to glean from the perspectives of other Christians. One of my favorite women of faith is Elisabeth Elliot.
She expressed order so perfectly when she wrote, “The way you keep your house, the way you organize your time, the care you take in your personal appearance, the things you spend your money on, all speak loudly about what you believe. The beauty of thy peace shines forth in an ordered life. A disordered life speaks loudly of disorder in the soul.”
Ladies, chaos is not of God. Chaos is anti-Christ. I know women who throw their cares to the wind. They abandon all structure and embrace the “just be real” statement. This is not the standard.
If we allow these attitudes to be a reflection of who we are as wives and mothers, the consequences will be an overflow into our children’s hearts. We do not want to raise a generation that embraces any clichés that define chaos.
In the simplest of terms, it’s sin that is the problem. Christian women need to be aware of this wile of the devil and not be part of a movement that embraces “A Hot Mess,” “Good Moms Have Sticky Floors, Laundry Piles, And Happy Kids,” and “Messy Hair Don’t Care.” …or like this little gem that I came across while grocery shopping the other day. (see picture below)
It grieves me to see persnickety attitudes toward children being burdens instead of blessings. And why? Just because children can make messes doesn’t give us the right to dismiss them as less than human. This is not what Christ would say; therefore, as Christ-followers, we should never embrace such statements. Frankly, it speaks of selfishness more than anything.
As women of God, we need to ask ourselves what we want our homes to be defined with?
For me, that looks like scripture and uplifting words written on my walls that encourage my walk with Christ. I enjoy creating intentional spaces intended for fun, refreshment, and making memories with family and friends. I try to leave a lot of room for flexibility as life will happen. These things should all be fueled by our obedience to what God has called us to be in our homes.
I want each station of my home to be a reflection of Whom I am serving. I serve Christ alone first, and my family next. Everything else comes secondary to those two things. These are the priorities.
We are raising children that will define our society for the future. And mothers, this training has to start with us! Those little ears pay close attention to the tiniest detail. See them as your little disciples that God handed you the privilege to teach each second of every day. 🙂
Mothers, I want to encourage you to be a reflection of Christ in all you do. If you hear me say anything today, I pray you seek Him in prayer in how to apply order in your life.
Every home looks different in how you go about simplifying to bring harmony to your days. However you do this, make God’s priorities of the home be your priorities… “for there is peace in an ordered soul.”
Bless you friends,
Natalie
1 Corinthians 14:40