Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you will eat the plants of the field.”
GENESIS 3:17-18
I’M TIRED.
I know I should clean the kitchen because there is an unpleasant smell coming from there that is starting to make me feel ill. Maybe milk at the bottom of a cereal bowl that was left out? Why does milk have to smell so bad when it goes sour?
Why does milk even go sour? And why is my body so tired? I got enough sleep last night. I think I’m eating somewhat healthily. If I only had more energy, my house would be clean.
And then there’s dust.
I think dust is part of the Curse.
I know that weeds are part of it because “cursed is the ground,” but what about our homes? Are we fighting aspects of the Curse there, too? We battle our sin nature, which includes laziness and selfishness, but could the Fall also have to do with the fact that we just get so tired that our bodies break down and we ache, and we don’t have boundless energy?
Yes, I’m convinced that dust and our clothes wearing out and things breaking down are all part of the Curse.
When sin entered the world, God pronounced judgment on the world and us, causing our domains to rebel against us just as we have rebelled against God. Our commands to rule, subdue, and be productive are all the harder to fulfill. I don’t understand what it all means and exactly how it all plays out, but I do know there is toil involved.
Characteristics of the Curse
“All of creation now tends toward death, decay, and disorder. Work is not the curse; unproductive work is the curse (destroys your labor). Pollution pictures sin. Evil is temporary and abnormal.”[1]
So how do we overcome this? How do we use the Curse to motivate us?
We have to keep our eyes on the eternal value of our work. If we are in Christ, then everything we do not only has value here on earth, but also has value for eternity. We have work that was created by God for us to do, and we have the power, approval, and authority to carry it out. We also have to remember the Lord is using our domains and the struggles that come with them to perfect us in our worship and service to Him.
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. JAMES 1:2-4
How we take care of our homes is all about our response to God. He gave us our homes. We have the ability to give life to them. We have to decide what our response to Him will be. Will we respond grudgingly and feel hopeless because it’s just another rule to follow, or will we accept our tasks with joy, giving thanks for all the goodness and blessings we have been given? Remember, He knows our weaknesses, and He’s not looking for perfection. (He already sees us as saints if we are covered with the blood of Jesus.)
Taking care of our homes is a responsibility to take joy and honor in, and ultimately is a service that will lead us toward Christlike character and humility.
READ ROMANS 8:20-21
What is the hope in the Curse?
Think back to a time when God refined your character through difficult circumstances. Write it down and thank Him for His faithfulness.
MARTHA CHALLENGEIT’S TIME TO CLEAN OUT THE BATHROOM CLOSETS OR NOOKS IN YOUR FIRST BATHROOM.
HERE IS THE PLAN:
1. Pull everything out of the closet onto the floor or take it to a space where you can go through everything easily.
2. Get a trash bag and a box (or something else to hold donations).
3. Sort each item into one of three categories: trash (hello, trash bag), keep, or donate. (Yes, you might have something that is nearly new that you really don’t use or need.)
4. Take the donation box IMMEDIATELY to your car and either drop the stuff off after you finish or do it another day this week.
5. Once you have sorted everything, organize the items that are left and put them back into the closet.
6. Voilà! You are done for the day!
GET YOUR KIDS INVOLVED!
Who says you have to organize all by yourself? Get your kiddos to help. If you have a child who is willing to organize, let go of the control and let your young helper put everything away—just give your child some simple guidelines. Help is help and it is welcome!