My House is NOT a Museum

Before reading this post, beware that I am only speaking from what I have learned. It's not fact. It's not the be all end all. It's not even advice. But it is something that has been on my heart for, well, a while now.

For a few years (many, actually if you only count my married life) I have struggled about how "clean" my house should be. Not necessarily for MY sake - goodness knows I like clean, but I don't have to clean my house every day to be satisfied. No, I care what people think of my house when they come visit. I want them to feel welcome, and to feel welcome, I think that people need to know that you have prepared for their arrival. You don't want them sitting on dried cereal, or step over toys when they come in. Or(as in the case at my house today) a "fort" in the middle of the living room that you had to go UNDER to get by.

But even more than that - what does God think of how clean a house must be? And what's more - does He care? To this, I look to scripture. No, there is no scripture about having a clean house - clean meat, clean people and clean animals yes - but a clean house? No. The phrase "cleanliness is next to godliness" is just a proverb, not God's actually inspired word (in case you were wondering - I was:) )

And then I read Matthew 25. Just to refresh your memory - there within is a parable about talents - you know - the 2 servants came back and doubled the money they were given, and one buried it and earned nothing. The master praised those who had done well with what they were given, and scolded the one who did not. It this parable, Jesus speaks of talents (money) but could it not also apply to anything God gives us. After all, we are simply managers of everything given to us, right?

To the servant who buried the talent, Jesus called him "wicked" and "lazy". He made no attempt to do anything with what he was given. But wicked? And lazy? Eeek. That is harsh. When God blesses us with money - we give it and manage it wisely. With our children - raising them up as disciples. With free time - investing in our church, friends, family relationships, time in the Word.

With our house? I think God expects us to manage it wisely. We keep it clean, make repairs when necessary, open it to friends and family. We prepare our house for guests to honor them, not impress them. It's work. It takes time. But it's about investing in those relationships.

I also think it's a balance. The other part of me wanting constant clean is probably more about control, or quirkiness, or some lesson I'm trying to teach my children about being organized. Or maybe something else entirely. After all, my house is not a museum. It is not a thing to be looked at in awe, so that people may come and see all of the fancy things I have. It is a resting place for my husband, a disciple center for my children, and an occasional solice for a guest.

I do know that the older I get, the less I care about a clean house. It could possibly be that I have more children on my hands, but I like to think that maybe, just maybe, I'm investing more time in relationships and less time on cleaning.

After all, I won't be asked how clean my house was, but what I did for the kingdom...

Something to think about...