Clean with Joy!

by Melanie
from Virtuous Daughters, February 2007~Volume 6, Number 11

Dear Virtuous Daughters,

​Cleaning is one of those things I don’t like to do, but I feel very glad once I’ve done it. (Exercising is another!) What helps me the most is to make a list of tasks needed to be completed. Then I feel I can break it down into smaller jobs. I feel overwhelmed when there is too much to do. I have to see it as a smaller job, and then I can tackle it.

I read a book that greatly helped me in this. Her idea is to break your cleaning into 15 minute intervals. She suggests de-cluttering each day to help you gain more control over your home. I borrowed the book from the library, but you can purchase it also if you want.
  
For my children, I broke their chores up into smaller jobs. Each day, they have two chores, plus they keep their rooms straightened. The chores vary and they rotate each week. It keeps the house straightened, and they don’t have too much to do each day. Find your own way to break your jobs up, and it might help. We all pitch in during the day to keep the house up. We strive for neat, not perfect!
  
Keep in mind that a neat house glorifies God because He is a God of order, not chaos. I tell myself, and my children, that we keep our home neat
because it is a blessing from God. Keeping it neat is how we thank Him.
  
I hope this has helped you. We may never like cleaning, but we can still like how we get it done. We can also be glad it’s done! Remember this verse: “Whether, then, you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”—1 Corinthians 10:31
  
May you clean with joy! God’s grace to you all—​