Messy Living: I See Much More Than A Mess

A home is just such personal territory.  It is a personal and vulnerable thing to let another person traipse though your home full of opinions and suggestions.  It must be said that it is an honor and privilege to be given such an opportunity.

This business is personal because our homes contain all of our hopes and dreams, successes and failures.  They are where we set out to do the best we can. We set out to become accomplished in our given field.  We set out to make a good marriage with our spouse.  We set out to raise well-adjusted children who will contribute something good to this world. We try and we try and we try. Most of us really are trying.

And then, in walks some stranger.  Right there, standing in the midst of the mess and the chaos and last night's spaghetti dinner dried on the kitchen wall.  In walks an outsider into your world who claims they can make your world better. Talk about personal, intimidating, down-right terrifying stuff.  And I'm not just talking about from your side of things!

Can I just tell you that my house looks the same way?  That no, all my ducks are not in a row.  I want you to know that I don't just see what is on the outside.  I see you and I see your hard work and your relationship building.  I see that you are nourishing not just bellies, but hearts and most of the time that looks messy on the outside.

Remember this...

"Where there are no oxen the manger is clean, but much increase comes by the strength of the ox." Proverbs 14:4 

If I ever get the privilege to step into your home one day I want you to know that it will be free of judgment.  Our opinions of one another don't matter anyway.  My true value and yours is found in Jesus Christ.  All the work you and I do, the way we try so hard to impress others and be "good" people and wives and mothers--none of it can save us or make us worthy of heaven.

Only perfection is worthy of heaven.  And only Jesus was perfect.

He did the work His Father sent Him to do and He did it perfectly. All of the ways we are imperfect point us to our need for a Savior.

The reality is, we can't find our perfection in this world. Any temporal thing that may hold the appearance of perfection is quickly unmasked for the facade that it really is.  The fabric we adore becomes outdated, the couch we saved so long for frays, and the accessories we were so excited to snag on sale gather dust.

There is only one thing that is permanently finished--no updates or remodel required.  That, my dear friends, is our justification.  Our sins are paid in full by the blood of the spotless Lamb, Jesus Christ. Jesus hung on the cross and with full authority uttered the words, "it is finished". There is no sacrifice that remains for sin, no amount of striving or trying on your part that could make you perfect and fit for heaven.

Jesus is the only one who lived as we lived and then died still fit for heaven.  He was the perfection that you and I will never be.  

"And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, 

and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 

so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, 

though He is not far from each one of us;"  

Acts 17:26-27

I pray that you would know the truth of God's Word and keep it as an anchor for your soul.  I pray that you would find and know Jesus, the One who died for you.

We all know that relationships, parenthood, marriage and careers require hard work, but God sees what you are doing and understands the messiness full well. Wherever you are, in whatever home or circumstance, your heavenly Father longs for you to grope for Him and find Him.  He is not far from each one of us.

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Check out my friend Stacy Leigh's blog entitled My Messy Manger if you want to learn more about messy living for the sake of the Gospel. She also blogs about autism, foster care, and adoption.