Order in the House
Today’s Verse:
Let all things be done decently and in order. ~1 Corinthians 14:40
Have you ever had a household appliance stop working? I remember a time when I had both my refrigerator and dishwasher go out at the same time. It was a great relief when both appliances were back in working order! Most people want things to be in working order. We don’t want things to break down. In addition, we all desire events that we are involved in and things that we do to be in order. Order implies that there is excellence, organization, functionality, structure, and delivery. This morning, let us consider the command of Scripture for orderliness.
There is the holiness in order.
“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” Our God is a God of order. “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). In Mark 7:37, it was said of Jesus that “he hath done all things well.” Creation was done in an orderly manner. I believe God chose to spread His creative power over three days to teach us order. As we consider God’s sovereign hand in the plan of salvation, there is order. Galatians 4:4 says, “But when the fulness of the time was come....” Order is an emanation of God’s holiness.
There is the harmony in order.
Notice that God is the Author of peace. The word for order implies the idea of harmony. God designed that all things should work in harmony. There should be harmony in the church. The church at Corinth was dysfunctional and out of order because of personality preferences, misuse of spiritual gifts, unenforcement of church discipline, and carnal dispositions. Churches are to operate with cohesiveness, concord, and congruity. Marriages are to have harmony. Troubled marriages are the result of stubbornness, selfishness, and lack of submission to God and one another. Our personal lives are to operate in harmony. Personal disorganization is a function of bad time management, slothfulness, and excuse making.
There is the honesty in order.
“Let all things be done decently....” This means there should be honesty in our operation. Paul said, “But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2). We should not take shortcuts in what we do. We should not take advantage of others in what we do. We should not “force a square peg into a round hole” in what we do. Our delivery should be in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God our Father.
There is the harvest in order.
God blesses order! There is happiness and great joy when things are done decently and in order. Programs that are well-planned, prayed over, and well-executed result in many people hearing the gospel, souls being saved, and great follow up opportunities. Nothing thrives where there is chaos. However, where there is structure, strategy, hard work, and much prayer, God pours out His blessing on everyone. When we follow the Holy Spirit in His leading, He guides us into all truth: this includes laying out organized plans for getting things done.
Let’s start this New Year off strong by having order in the house. Disorder is a bad habit that we must forsake. Let us pursue order and decency in the relationships and responsibilities that God has given us.
Have an orderly God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Genesis 16-18