Why God Won’t Bless Chaos: The Power of Clean Spaces and Obedience
Struggling With Clarity Or Feeling Stuck? Start With The Last Thing God Told You To Do
The older I get, the more I realize how important it is to keep a clean space. Whenever my house or even my car is messy, I notice laziness creeping into other areas of my life. It’s so true what they say: clutter ruins clarity. I’ve made it a habit to tidy up my common spaces every night. That means washing dishes, vacuuming the floor, putting things back where they belong, and handling any visible messes. Sundays are for deep cleaning; mopping, scrubbing toilets, and doing laundry. This routine came naturally to me, and honestly, it helps so much with my focus and productivity.
May has been nonstop for me. I had graduations, Mother’s Day, friends visiting, a wedding, and my mom’s birthday, all packed into one month. I haven’t spent a single weekend at home because I’ve been traveling every weekend for four weeks straight. And while I love traveling, it throws off all my routines.
One major part of my routine is Sunday Starbucks after church. I spend at least an hour there every week, brain-dumping and preparing for what’s ahead. But this month, because I’ve been on the move so much, I haven’t been able to do any of my usual Sunday resets. Now, here we are at the end of the month, and I can feel the impact. My house has been a mess. I’ve been starting my weeks unprepared and just going with the flow, and not in the good, “let the Spirit lead” kind of way. Every day, I told myself, Today’s the day we’re getting it together. And every day, I didn’t. I kept slipping deeper into the chaos. I even almost missed a work meeting because I forgot it was on my schedule. After work, I’d say, I need to clean up, but then I’d sit on the couch and do nothing. I started losing things around the house. I couldn’t even find my work laptop charger one day, so I had to sit in my car and charge it just to get things done.
Then one morning during prayer, I was asking God for increase; more opportunity, more income, more of Him. Right in the middle of my prayer, I felt a check in my spirit. Why should God bless me with more when I’m not even being a good steward of what I already have? Whew. That one hit. Later that day, I was venting to a friend, going on about how my house was a mess and how I’d been charging my laptop in the car for three days. I said, I just don’t have time! Right then, the Holy Spirit got me together real quick: You seem to have time to sit here and chitchat.
Oop. I hung up and got to cleaning.
The truth is, I had tried to clean up a few times over the last three weeks, but the mess was overwhelming. I didn’t know where to start. So I chose the smallest task: unpacking my suitcases and bags. Four hours later, I had cleaned the whole house and was on my fourth load of laundry. While putting purses away, I found my laptop charger. And I just had to pause and thank God, not for the charger itself, but for what that moment showed me about His love and discipline. My friend and I always say, God don’t bless no mess. This whole situation was proof. God is a God of order, and He blesses obedience. He had been nudging me for weeks to clean up, and I kept ignoring it. He even let things get uncomfortable to wake me up, like misplacing my charger. But the moment I followed through and obeyed, the door opened.
So why am I sharing all this? Because maybe you’re in a similar place. Maybe life is passing you by, and you’re feeling stuck. Maybe you’ve been ignoring God’s instructions, especially the small ones. Maybe you’re in a season you can’t stand. What if I told you your obedience is the key to your next season? If your current season feels confusing or chaotic, go back to the last thing God told you to do. Had I not cleaned up, I wouldn’t have found my charger. Had I not cleaned up, I wouldn’t have had the clarity to show up at work this week prepared. Had I not cleaned up, I wouldn’t even be writing this blog.
Here’s another truth: some of the dysfunction you're experiencing might be because of your own disorganization. I’ve said it before in another blog, keeping your space clean and orderly is part of being a good steward. If you're faithful with what you currently have, God can trust you with more. But if you're careless or ungrateful with your current blessings, why would He increase you?
So this week, and for the rest of the year, keep this in mind:
God don’t bless no mess.
Yes, it’s bad grammar, but it’s the truth.
