Out of Order

“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people” (1 Corinthians 14:33).

“Oh no!” I had been out of town for almost a week, and the first thing I saw driving into our driveway was the dead plant at the front door. “Did you water the plants?” I asked my husband. “Yes, twice,” he said, “but it died anyway.” It wasn’t necessarily a summer plant, but represented the disorder I feel when I return from vacation.

Do you know what I’m talking about?

The refrigerator needs cleaning, the mail is piled up, and the floor needs to be mopped. I feel out of order, and when I am out of order, life just doesn’t work as well.

Here’s the truth. We as Christians come by the need for order naturally. As sons and daughters of the King, we are like our heavenly papa, who is a God of order. From the beginning, God had his ducks in a row, whether it was in creation, in the 613 laws he gave his people to follow, or in the construction of his first dwelling place on Earth, the tabernacle.

Listen to a part of the detail God our Heavenly Father gave Moses for building the tabernacle altar: “Build an altar of acacia wood, three cubits high; it is to be square, five cubits long and five cubits wide. Make a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece, and overlay the altar with bronze. Make all of its utensils of bronze—its pots to remove the ashes, and its shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans. Make a grating for it, a bronze network, and make a bronze ring at each of the four corners of the network…”

Sounds OCD, doesn’t it?

But it’s not. Let’s just say the “O” in GOD stands for order, and that’s the way he created us.

Do you feel out of order right now?

Here’s the good news. God loves to place his creation back in order. He wants to help you, but it often takes carving out time to put things in place.

While I was away on this trip, I came back to find my husband had cleaned his side of the closet. Shirts were in color order; clutter was off the floor. I was gone, so he had extra time. It was impressive! Then I looked over to my side and saw the mountain range of clothes. It will take time to put it all back together in orderly fashion.

When I returned home, I prayed the Lord would expand my time so I could fix what’s dead at the front door, and do some cleaning. Late last night, a meeting cancelled, so the first appointment I have today is 2:00 p.m. I realized it’s a date with order, but where do I start?

Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.”

Where do I begin?

With prayer, of course.

And that’s how you can start your quest for order in your home as well.

So as I scan the rooms in my house, covering them with prayer, I wonder what my orderly God will have me tackle first? (LBW)