Because God is the author of order, not confusion.
–I Corinthians 14:33a (The Voice Bible)
“Order. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.”
–Benjamin Franklin
A joke goes, “Being organized is for lazy people. They can find what they want right away. I believe in working hard. I always have to dig around to find what I want.”
That may make us chuckle, but orderliness actually brings a sense of peace and harmony to our world, while chronic chaos can drive us (and those around us) up a wall.
Benjamin Franklin tells us to be organized with our possessions, to keep everything in a set place, but also with our time, to give proper attention to each part of our job and life. And Franklin practiced what he preached, for his resume is legendary: writer, publisher, business owner, inventor, diplomat, philosopher, world traveler, student of six languages, scientist, community activist, revolutionary, Founding Father, the first Postmaster General, contributor to the Declaration of Independence, and only one of six to sign both the Declaration and the Constitution. All that for a man who had two years of formal education that ended at age 10. Clearly, Franklin understood the value of order and making the most of what you have.
The Bible tells us “God is the author of order, not confusion.” Therefore, wherever we see a free-for-all of clutter, lawlessness and pandemonium, we can be sure that is not of God.
As gotquestions.org explains, “Order implies a neat and logical organization of items, tasks, or people. When a room is in order, it has been tidied and everything is in its proper place. God’s universe is orderly. He created everything in an orderly sequence in a six-day span that set the world as we know it into motion (Genesis 1:31; Exodus 20:11; 31:17). He created the sun, moon, and stars to regulate time and seasons (Genesis 1:14–18; Psalm 104:19), and the heavenly bodies operate with precise predictability.
Living bodies are another example of God’s orderliness. The heart pumps blood through organs designed to receive it. The brain fires thousands of messages per second to regulate pain, temperature, respiration, and thought. And a million other chemical and physical reactions take place simultaneously within the body. If one factor was awry, the organism could not live, defend itself, or thrive. The more science discovers about creation, the more we learn about God’s miraculous order.”
For many people, “getting organized” or “cleaning up my home and office” are popular New Year’s Resolutions. However, not only are those noble goals, but they are also biblical virtues, as they seek to put us more “in sync” with the things of God.
In this third week of the new year, the word for you is, “Put your things and schedule in order, and experience the freedom.”
This is Part 3 of a 13-Part series, based on 13 virtues that Benjamin Franklin sought to incorporate into his daily life, each of which has a scriptural basis. Franklin realized that, since each year has 52 weeks, one can repeat this series four times annually. A chart like the one Franklin designed to help one mark one’s progress can be found here.
S.G.D./S.D.G.
