I hate housework. I see no Kingdom purpose in spending my time cleaning when I could spend it hanging out with people. As we established in an earlier post, I am a social person. If one friend is a good idea, why not two hundred.
My children had Tuesday out of school and I was thrilled. It would be the first day since school started I didn’t have to be somewhere. This was the perfect opportunity to clean. So, what did I do….I asked the kids if they wanted to drive to the mountains, gather apples, and have a fun lunch somewhere. Why did I want to spend a perfectly free day home scrubbing away when I could play. While that would have been their idea of fun when they were in elementary school, it wasn’t on a middle and high schooler’s top 10 list of fun things to do on a teacher workday. I tried! Now, I had no other choice but to declare chemical warfare on my house before I completely lost the battle.
I woke my children up and announced we would be cleaning for the day and they were to start in their rooms. My son, Sam, said, “Next time, remind me to tell you I like apples!” He had his chance. I had made my decision and I was committed to it. By the end of the day, I needed to be committed.
Who lives in such a nasty state? How long had it been? As I worked away cleaning out and filling trash bags, scrubbing bathrooms, and mopping floors, I had a brillant beyond brilliant idea…if I clean a little each day, then the house wouldn’t get out of hand and I could manage it.
I felt the little “AHA!” go off inside my head, which is God’s way of telling me there is a message here or as my friend, Margaret says, “That will preach!”
If we would spend time each and every day in prayer and reading the Word of God, then life will not get out of control and get the best of us. We will be able to tackle issues as they come, one at a time, instead of trying to tackle a mountain of them at once. It doesn’t mean we won’t have problems arise. In fact, John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” So, get out the chemicals and declare warfare on your house and get out the Word of God and declare war against the bad things that come your way. Your house will be in order and you won’t be caught off guard by the enemy.