Is Messiness a Morality Issue?

NO, I DON’T THINK it is.

But it could be.

Could there be a sin of laziness stemming from selfishness? Could there be a wall in your heart against cleaning because you feel you’re being taken advantage of by those around you? Do you perhaps envy those who have a cleaning service, and therefore resent that you have to clean? All these issues are rooted in sin.

I think we should pull back the curtains of our hearts and find out what is there. Are we lazy or just tired? Being tired is not a sin! We need to be willing to be vulnerable and understand our strengths and our limitations, our sin issues and our bents. Whether you like to clean or don’t, whether you are good at it or not doesn’t really matter. What matters is what is in your heart.

Do you have a sin issue or a core lie you need to ask God to help you to deal with when it comes to your attitude toward taking care of your domain? If so, then perhaps messiness is a moral issue for you.

For many of us, I think we just get wrapped up in the “you should do” and the “you shouldn’t do” and we forget to ask God, “Lord, who do You say I am? What do You say when it comes to caring for my home?” We need to approach the throne of grace if we are going to walk in grace and be instruments of grace; we need to be open to being healed or corrected.

You may be a messy person, and that may or may not be a moral issue for you. I’m asking you to ask God today if there is an issue you need to confront, or if you are just messy and need to persevere while not beating yourself up for who you are.

Cleaning is just a detail. I don’t care if you are Miss Super Cleaner Lady or Miss Messy Pants, your cleaning personality has nothing to do with the identity of your soul. So whoever you are, wherever you are, let the details lead you to the state of your heart. I’m saying let the care of your domain come from a heart that overflows with love. Clean and maintain your home in order to push back the chaos and offer a place of rest and peace. Let it all be from the heart.

And from the heart—a redeemed heart—we can really love well.