1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to 2 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: have you listening with us. Today's topic is about what 3 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:20,480 Speaker 1: it means to be made in the image of an 4 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:24,440 Speaker 1: orderly God. We'll return with the devotional after a brief 5 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 1: message from our sponsors. What it means to be made 6 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 1: in the Image of an Orderly God written and read 7 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:49,520 Speaker 1: by Dietra Brayley. God saw all that he had made, 8 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:52,839 Speaker 1: and it was very good. And there was evening, and 9 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: there was morning the sixth Day, Genesis one thirty one. 10 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: Condo is known as one of the world's most beloved 11 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: tidying experts, and one day she convinced me that the 12 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 1: path to inner peace would be to pull all of 13 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 1: the clothes out of my closet and throw them on 14 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 1: my bed to be analyzed one by one. I had 15 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:18,399 Speaker 1: just watched the first episode of her show Tidying Up 16 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 1: with Marie Condo on Netflix, in which she teaches her 17 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:27,039 Speaker 1: protege to ask this question, when I touched this item, 18 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:31,399 Speaker 1: does it spark joy. If the answer is yes, then 19 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 1: the item gets to stay. If the answer is no, 20 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 1: the directive is to thank the item for its service 21 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: and then bid it ado. Even if this sounds a 22 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 1: little woo woo. I have to say that after I 23 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 1: had removed a great many joyless items from my wardrobe 24 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: and reorganize the rest of my clothes back into the closet, 25 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 1: I felt an internal sigh of relief. I did feel 26 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: more joyful. I felt as though a burden had lifted, 27 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 1: as though a weight I'd been unwittingly caring around for 28 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:09,640 Speaker 1: years was suddenly gone. In eighteen seventy two, John Wesley 29 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 1: preached cleanliness is indeed next to godliness, And though he 30 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 1: was talking specifically about the way a person dressed and 31 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 1: cared for their appearance, I think he was pressing on 32 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: a deeper spiritual truth too. Cleanliness is the visual representation 33 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:32,639 Speaker 1: of order, and our Creator is, as evidenced by creation, 34 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: a god of order. If you look carefully at the 35 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,360 Speaker 1: creation story, you will notice that God did not just 36 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: bring all things into being. He also gave them each 37 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 1: a designated spot, a boundary for existence, a specific space 38 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: in which to thrive. He separated the light from the darkness, 39 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: giving both their time to rain as day and night. 40 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:04,080 Speaker 1: He gave each plant one specific fruit to bear. He 41 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 1: told the sea how far it could go, and then 42 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:11,959 Speaker 1: said no more. Biblical scholar Rachel Smith describes God's work 43 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 1: in a way that Marie Conda would approve of. She 44 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 1: says it that is, the world was designed to run 45 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,839 Speaker 1: well and to be a well ordered environment for its occupants. 46 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 1: This is the sense of good in the Creation account. 47 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 1: Everything God created he declared good because it acted within 48 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 1: its purpose and provided benefits. Intersecting faith and life, what 49 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: does it mean to bear God's image? It means to 50 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: care about the things He cares about and to reflect 51 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 1: his character out into the world. And one of the 52 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 1: things that God cares about is order, which creates space 53 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 1: for life to thrive. When we enter into chaos and 54 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: bring disorder back into equilibrium, we are doing the work 55 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: of God. Here are some practical areas where we might 56 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: do that today in our physical spaces. Declutter one area 57 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: of your home. Choose a junk drawer, a closet, or 58 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:22,919 Speaker 1: a bedroom. Remove everything and only put back what serves 59 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:27,280 Speaker 1: a purpose or per the advice of Marie Condo brings joy. 60 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 1: Give each item a designated space, and then, if you 61 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:36,719 Speaker 1: can bring a little extra beauty to that area, organized 62 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: by color, add flowers, freshen with a scented sachet. Is 63 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: there a time of day that feels particularly chaotic, create 64 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:51,159 Speaker 1: a ritual to help it go more smoothly. If morning 65 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: times are hectic, for example, preset your coffee pot the 66 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:59,040 Speaker 1: night before, lay out your clothes, wake up ten minutes earlier, 67 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: candle while you eat breakfast. See how these adjustments bring 68 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:06,919 Speaker 1: a sense of peace to what used to feel overwhelming 69 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 1: in our workplaces. Administration may not be glamorous, but it 70 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: is essential for bringing order. If you have the gift 71 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 1: of administration, that is, organizing information, communication, and actions into 72 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: systems that run smoothly, put it into practice in your workspace. 73 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: Good structures help good work to thrive. Be a problem solver. 74 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:38,040 Speaker 1: If you see that something is not working and have 75 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:41,479 Speaker 1: an idea for how to fix it, say something. Be 76 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:46,039 Speaker 1: someone who steps into situations and brings clarity and excellence 77 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 1: in our communities. Jesus said, Blessed are the peacemakers, for 78 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:58,719 Speaker 1: they will be called children of God in our communities. 79 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 1: Bringing order like bringing peace to relationships, to organizations, to 80 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:09,840 Speaker 1: broken systems. When we step into disordered situations or strained 81 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 1: relationships in our neighborhoods or even global communities, we are 82 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: reflecting God's image by bringing equilibrium. This could look as 83 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 1: simple as serving on the pta and being a voice 84 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: of calm and reason when the meetings get heated, or 85 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: it could look like serving in outreach ministries to provide 86 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:34,040 Speaker 1: for the real, everyday needs of neighbors. For further reading, 87 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 1: explore Genesis one, verses one through thirty one, and the 88 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:43,919 Speaker 1: book rest assured what the creation story was intended to 89 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:52,839 Speaker 1: reveal about trusting God. By Rachel booth Smith. Thanks for 90 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: listening to today's devotional. If you liked what you heard today, 91 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 1: we want to make sure you know about our sister podcast, 92 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:03,040 Speaker 1: Your Daily. When you follow your daily prayer in your 93 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 1: favorite podcast app, you'll get a brand new prayer and 94 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 1: devotional each day, so your days begin in conversation with God. 95 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 1: If you're looking to grow in prayer or start your 96 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: day with your heart focused on the right things, search 97 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: for your daily prayer in your favorite podcast app and 98 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: be sure to follow the show so you get a 99 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 1: new prayer delivered straight to you each morning.