Do you ever get so busy that simple routines in life go unchecked? Are you ever so tired that you let the basic household chores go undone? Has it gone on for so long that you don’t recognize your house, or has the feeling of being overwhelmed overtaken you? So here is where you are.
After talking with several friends over coffee, there is a common thread of busy, chaotic, tired lives. One person said, “My house is such a mess right now. I wouldn’t even invite you in.” There were chuckles of understanding. We have all been there. Another friend said, “I have just been so busy lately that by the time I get home, I just collapse on my couch.” There was another round of nodding heads and understanding looks.
As we all lamented and laughed over the state of our homes, the crushing blow came from a Crystal Evans Hurst question. What does your space say about your soul, [insert your name]? CRICKETS!!!! The question had to be read again. This question gave us a serious point to ponder. So, if our homes were a representation of our souls, what would the message be?
To add to this conversation, one lady said, “My house is in such disarray, I would not want to let Jesus in to see the mess.” Deep sighs. When our house is in such disarray, shouldn’t this be the time that we want Jesus to come in the most? Most of these ladies were thinking in terms of physical cleanliness. What about our mental, emotional, and spiritual cleanliness?
The messy house can be seen as a physical representation of where we are in the mental, physical, and spiritual realm. If our house is a mess, how much clarity do we have in our thought process and decision making? How does physical clutter interfere with our spiritual mindset. How can clutter and mess become a distraction? What does scripture say about messes?
We can recall the phrase “cleanliness is next to godliness.” However, scripture does not say this. Instead, we are reminded that Jesus was about cleanliness, order, and purity. Our messy houses may be nothing more than a mess that needs and will eventually be cleaned. It could be a sign of an underlying problem like anxiety or depression. Before we beat ourselves up, we have to consider the circumstances and the lifestyle of the individual.
Addressing the person who said, “My house is in such disarray, I would not want to let Jesus in to see the mess,” was a reminder of pride and how we hide behind an image or public perception. What makes us think that Jesus doesn’t know that our house is a wreck? Why would we not seek him in the midst of chaos? Could our dirty house be the stumbling block that leads to hoarding, further interfering with our relationship with God? We all came to a conclusion about the correlation of our messy houses to the condition of our souls: discernment. We must determine if the condition of our house is tied to a soul in need of help, in need of slowing down in life’s busyness, or distracting our relationship with Christ. Talk about a moment of soul searching… It is a topic that we will revisit again.
In the meantime, what does your space say about your soul, [insert your name]?
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