Tackling That Housework

It's been awhile since we've talked about some truly practical applications of the Bible. This would be one of those subjects that I suspect many a person has trouble with- whether they stay at home like me or work outside the home. Every day I survey my house and I just whither inside when I think about all that truly needs to be done. Some days it looks clean from the outside, but I know that there are crumbs in the couch cushions, and I know there are spider webs creeping about the laundry room. I know about the state of clutter in my pantry, and it causes me distress to even think about it, so I never get around to tackling it. Seems that I am in need of some reminding.

"I love you, O LORD, my strength." Psalm 18:1

He IS my strength, even when it comes to something as mundane as housework. When the very last thing I want to do is vacuum the stairs, I can ask for a little assistance from above to find the motivation to get the task done.

"All hard work brings a profit,
but mere talk leads only to poverty." Proverbs 14:23

All hard work brings a profit. Even my sorting and picking through the pantry. As I sift through boxes and bags and cartons, who knows what treasure may be hiding. There have been times in the past where I've found something that I've completely forgotten about. My hard work was rewarded in that instance, and keeping the pantry clean also has other benefits. By having a clean pantry, I can easily see if there is a pest invasion, and I can see what is about to expire and keep my family from eating spoiled food. It is an important task, and maybe by seeing that it is important I can find the motivation to get it done.

"She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks." Proverbs 31:17

"She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness." Proverbs 31:27

Great reminders from our Wife of Noble Character. By keeping a clean house, I am being a good steward of what I have. I am keeping my husbands home free of disease and dirt, and keeping it ready to welcome unexpected visitors. But it doesn't happen overnight. It must have been about a year ago now that I wrote a post about cleaning my house in one day, and then keeping it clean. Where on earth did that go? I remember doing it clearly. I would go from room to room, touching up what needed to be touched up in the morning, so that I had the afternoons to spend how I wished.

Lately I have become discouraged with the housework, but today's verse are an excellent reminder to me. They remind me that God cares, and wants to help me daily, even with something as simple and mundane as the housework. He will help me to find the motivation I need to keep the laundry moving every day so that I am not faced with a mountain by the time the weekend rolls around. God IS my strength, and I pray that he will once again fill my heart with purpose and keep me going, for without him, I am nothing.