Where there are no oxen, the stalls are clean, but from the strength of the ox comes an abundant harvest. Proverbs 14:4, TLV
An Ouch for Me. How About You? Sigh. Remember the painful passages I spoke about? Today’s proverb fits into another category for me: Most Uncomfortable. And this verse is one of my top 3 Most Uncomfortable Passages. How about you?
Why? I like order. Okay, I crave order. If I’m looking for basil, I know right where it is. Monday mornings I change the linens and do laundry. There are extra rolls of toilet paper in all the bathrooms. Yes, I’m that person.
When things are messy I feel off — out of control. This verse has helped me be less compulsive about order, truly, but I’m still a work in progress.
Why This Proverb is So Important?
Here’s why this proverb is so important, especially for souls like me: Life is messy.
Anything that grows and produces is messy. Children, babies, vegetables, pets, new projects, relationships, business or ministry expansion, just plain old change disrupts the order around us.
Growth means complication — new things to deal with can be unpleasant and time-consuming. If we’re always fretful about messes and occasional disorder, then we might be prone to stop growth. It’s true, because we can envision the messiness, we could prevent our LORD from working in our life or the lives of others.
Yikes.
But if we manage the “manure” and feed the “oxen” — the overall
mess — then an abundant harvest is ahead. And that’s a good thing.
Think More About It
Do you struggle with the messy oxen? How have you overcome it? Thanks for stopping by. I hope this blog was a blessing.
