God Gives Order in Our Messy Lives

Organization and order does not come naturally to me. Historically, the closest I’ve come to order is to have one pile of clothes on the ground that are clean and another pile that is dirty. (Don’t judge, I’m too busy writing!) However, last week we bought a new home and it has a really big closet. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed having all of my clothes put away and how enjoyable it is to get ready in the morning with everything neat and orderly. Seeing all of my shirts folded and stacked was almost beautiful. I actually look forward to getting dressed and starting my day!

Now I don’t think the universal answer is for all of us to become neat freaks but I do think this points to who God is and how he made us.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. (1)

Before there was time, God was interested in bringing order to the world. He gave creation boundaries and limits. Then he stood back and admired the beauty of that same creation. In fact, order is necessary for anything beautiful. Before a musician records a hit record, they must know cord charts. Before a painter crafts a masterpiece, they must understand color schemes. Before a writer types out a blog that will gain record “likes”, they must (hopefully) comprehend grammar.

And this same order is necessary for us.

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.(2)

This order becomes quite beautiful when the husband submits to the Lord and willingly lays his life down for his wife. He thinks of her needs before his own. He is gentle with her and faithfully loves her. She feels so cherished and cared for that she willingly submits to her husband because he has won her trust and her love.(3) They worship God together because He makes all things beautiful.

Laura and I don’t have a perfect marriage but we’ve worked hard on this beautiful order. I’ve been surprised by how much it refreshes those around us as they catch glimpses of how we love and serve each other. I’m convinced it points directly to the Creator and how he works. I’ve seen men step up, sacrifice for their wife, and peace return to the home. I’ve seen women step down, support their man, and romance rekindle. I’ve seen couples brought out of chaos and actually look forward to their relationship as hope returns.

Listen, I know this order has been abused, miscommunicated, and misinterpreted by some and turned ugly. I know some of you have been wounded and trust was broken. However, God’s order is beautiful and brings peace to our homes. He won my trust and love the hard way to prove it. My new closet reminded me of that this morning.

1. Genesis 1:3,4

2. Ephesians 5:22, 23

3. Order does not necessarily have to do with ability or value. For example, my wife is a lot smarter than I am.