Messy houses and other matters (devotional)

My house is a mess. I’m talking total destruction here. Even though I have good help from my husband, I still cannot keep up with the clutter, with overflowing wastebaskets, with clothes strewn about haphazardly in my tween daughter’s room, and the ever-increasing pile of mail to sort through.

The mess bothers me to no end. Now, granted, I have a great excuse for my untidiness—recovery from surgery. Bless my doctor, she told me—no, make that ORDERED me—to take it easy, to not lift anything more than 20 lbs., and to just let my body heal. So for now, I have a terrific excuse for a filthy house.

But what about two months ago? Or two years ago? When my house looked (almost) as disorganized back then, what excuse could I have given? None. Even though the filth, grime and clutter exasperates me, I don’t seem to be able to really tackle it. I wince at the not-so-tiny dust bunnies that cohabitate with our bunny slippers under the bed. I realized that my housekeeping skills could be compared to my life as a child of God. Even though the filth and emotional or “spiritual clutter” bothers me, I’ve never really conquered it once and for all.

The good news? I don’t have to conquer the mess—Jesus already has. He has cleaned up my life and even helps maintain that order every day, if I am willing. And boy, am I! As He says in Isaiah, “…Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool (Isaiah 1:18). In this verse, it’s like He’s bringing out the big guns: Mr. Clean, Clorox, 409, and every other available household cleaning product, to completely rid the dirt and grime in my life.

That said, I’m not trying to make light of His suffering on the cross. Really, God doesn’t have to supply cleaning materials; He IS the ultimate source of clean, of purity, of sanctity. That’s if I let Him in. I can’t expect Him to wash the windows of my soul, if I haven’t opened the door when He knocks.

So there you have it. That’s the way it is with God and me. Even though I may work at “being good,” I can’t ever get my life, my heart, truly clean without His help. Who knows? With God helping keep my heart pure, I can devote a little bit more effort to creating an always-ready-for-guests house. OK, now… where did I put that phone number for the Merry Maids services?

Tricia

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Pictured above is my childhood home in Oklahoma City, OK.