I have to admit, I am organized.  I have a purpose statement for my life and my job.
My house and office, while not always totally clean or dust free, are always in order.
Was I born with organizational skills or did that making the effort to be organized makes life run smoother in the long run?  I am not sure but  I am more productive and more content when things are organized.  When trials come, having things organized, allows me energy to focus on the issues at hand.  I have discovered that organization leads to peace.

I allowed our children a certain amount of grace when it came to organizing their rooms.  The doors were closed a lot!  Occasionally, when the chaos in their rooms frustrated them, I provided tools like shelves, bins and labels to encourage and help them neatly sort and store their possessions.  Though the order rarely lasted, they always received my help enthusiastically.  Such moments of order gave them a taste of how good they felt when they controlled their own physical space.  They learned that an orderly space somehow helps unclutter our emotions and minds.

Though they had some freedom with their own rooms, the space outside their rooms was my territory and they had to adhere to my standards.  I taught and modeled organization by the way I ran our home.  As young married adults, they are developing their own styles of organization, but I can see that some of my advice got through.

But does it really matter?  In 1 Corinthians 14:33 Paul exhorts the Corinthians that God is not a God of disorder, but of peace.  I wanted my children to experience and enjoy peace throughout their lives.  Living with a sense of organization creates an atmosphere that contributes to peace.  Organization is a discipline that everyone can learn to some degree.

Too often moms react angrily to the clutter children leave in their pathways.  Instead of making it about keeping your house clean, recognize that every interaction you’re your child is a teaching moment.  Teaching children to pick up their toys and put them in various containers is not just to help you – it helps them understand order.  Teaching your children to think through choices and predict results is not just to avoid spoiling them - it helps them understand having a plan and purpose to your actions.  Children love the question “why” – maybe mom should question them – helping them determine the process and order to peace and understanding.  The next time you start picking up your child’s toys, ask age-appropriate questions like these:
 Why does mommy want you to put away your toys?
 Why do you put your soldiers in the same place every night?
 When you can’t find one of your toys, how do you feel?

Though it would be much easier and quicker for you to pick up the toys and put them away, remember that part of your job is to train your child to reflect Christ.  Teaching order is a key principle to equipping your child to live in peace.
 
Organizing and planning takes extra work in the beginning but it is a key tool toward peace and contentment for the future.