Putting Life Back in Order

1 Corinthians 14:33 " for God is not a God of confusion but of peace..."

Corinth was one of the most wicked cities and pleasure was worshiped above all. Sound like anywhere you know today? (Paul was writing to the church in Corinth, specifically about the use of gifts, however my focus is not on the gifts, but rather what the passage says about the character of God.)

God is not a God of confusion, but a God of peace. The Greek word for confusion here means: disorder, commotion, inconstant. Sometimes a picture of my own life. Maybe I have bought into the worship of pleasure and it is bringing disorder and confusion in areas of my life?

A few months ago God began gently nudging me about the disorder in my life. He wanted me to take an honest look at my life and see any disorder (disobedience). Disorder seems to creep in slowly but surely and then you feel like you are in a hurricane and have no where to hide. Disorder can come in all shapes and sizes too. Sometimes it is even internal, where our thoughts are just not RIGHT thoughts; or as simple as one activity on our schedule is adding stress and complication to the rest of our lives.

Truthfully, where there is disorder in my life and yours, God is not Lord there. Disorder is to me a direct result of disobedience. I am not talking about trials of various kinds, because when God brings these, there is order about them. His purpose is done through them. I am referring to the mess we create when our flesh runs our life and lies are at the heart of our decisions, not God and His truth.

Examples:
1. My basement. I run on my treadmill in the basement. A mini-sanctuary that I do a lot of thinking about things God wants different in my life, what the rest of my day will include, my eating habits, homeschooling, how I spend money, people I need to talk to, etc. Then I looked around my treadmill at the heaps of junk everywhere. Can God be pleased? Can I have hidden disorder and fool myself that my life is in order?
2. I try to go to a ladies bible study group that is close to my home. It takes up my whole morning. When I am there, I am not doing my first commitment which is homeschooling my kids. I was convincing myself that I needed to go to the bible study when in reality God was telling me ever so softly that I needed to give that up and focus on my children. I gave it up. I am not even going to try to be a part now and then. I feel so much better having gotten that part of my schedule in order now.


How can I function Christ-like when my own surroundings are so unkept? Why do I save all the things I save in the basement? What really is taking up my time? Is my life in order?

God did begin to speak to me about putting my house in order. Mostly for me that means getting rid of stuff, even the good stuff that makes my life more of a confusion than it should be, just sucking up my time that should be spent on eternal things. Our lives can have order...when God is Lord.

If God is not a God of confusion, then my life should not be one of confusion either.
I challenge you to take time looking at these areas of your life and make sure they line up with God's Truth and that your thoughts about them are taken captive and made obedient. (2 Cor 10:5) Ask yourself, honestly, if there is disorder in any way.

1. Money & Finances

2. House & Home (physically and spiritually)

3. Use of Time

4. Thoughts & Speech

5. Relationships

These 5 areas cover most everything in life. Remember, people watch us and when our lives as Christians are a big confusion, we misrepresent God.