Will the house ever be clean?

This week’s post is adapted from the September 23rd, 2014 post
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

It is a continual struggle around our house to keep things clean and in order. As you can imagine, four children (along with the occasional foster child) and a few pets cause their fair share of chaos on a daily basis, and do precious little to help repair the damage. Every night, once the kids finally fall asleep, we find ourselves amazed again at the amount of work that goes into simply maintaining some semblance of order.

 Having dealt with this experience on a continuous loop for the past twelve years, I have come to realize that there exists, more so in my wife but still to some extent in me, a desire that everything would be in its right place. There is a longing for every room to be clean, every chore finished, every crumb off the floor, every piece of clothing folded neatly in its drawer, and every project finished. It feels like it would be heaven to experience such order, even just once, and to find true rest from the constant work. But such a state of order is always and forever just out of reach. Inevitably, the closer we come to reaching a state of cleanliness, an animal pees on something, or a child takes out a number of games and leaves the pieces scattered all over the floor.

 The British theologian N.T. Wright speaks and writes often about the new heavens and the new earth and its importance to our theology and life today. If you’re unfamiliar with that phrase, it comes from Revelation, the final book in the Bible, and refers to the end of time, when the righteous are resurrected to live on a redeemed earth, and heaven and earth are joined together as God comes to dwell with us forever (Revelation 21-22). One of the phrases that he uses often to describe that place is that everything is “put to rights.” I don’t know if that is a phrase peculiar to Britain, as I don’t hear people around here using it, but he uses it to describe how when Christ returns, sin and evil will be destroyed, justice will prevail, and everything will be in perfect order under God’s sovereign rule. Every time I hear that phrase, I think about that longing inside of me and my wife for order, for everything to be in its right place. It may feel like a futile quest in the land of messy children and messier animals, but I am grateful that this longing in our hearts will be fulfilled on that day.

 Moreover, the reality of everything being “put to rights” is a reminder of how many longings of our heart, which seem just out of reach in this world, will be fulfilled completely when we are with God. Our longing for perfect love that fills us with joy, ecstasy, security, and passion, will be ours completely when we see our God. Our desire for a community of peace, depth, diversity, and intimacy will be met when we are gathered with our brothers and sisters in a place where there is no more sin or evil. Our desire for purpose, that our lives would be spent doing that which really matters and fulfills us, will be satisfied when we are reigning with our Lord over the universe. Our desire for wonder and beauty will be rewarded when we are spending eternity captivated by the endless glory of our great God.

 Heaven is more than a reward for a righteous life or a rest from the suffering of this world. It is more than a reunion with lost loved ones. It is a perfect and forever fulfillment of all of the deepest longings of our heart. Because of this, it is also a reminder not to spend all of our energy trying to fulfill those longings this side of eternity, nor to be too dismayed when we can not achieve them.
 
            On that day the house will be clean, the to-do list will be done, and there will be rest, forever and ever. Amen.