Proverbs 14:4, “Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.”
When God calls you to serve Him, be ready for anything! What He will ask you to accomplish may be challenging, messy, or momentarily unenjoyable. I fully believe that being obedient to the will of God is worth it, but at times it may be messy.
Think about this, if you don’t have oxen in your barn, you don’t have a mess to clean up. Right?
But without the oxen, you have no means of income. When I was growing up, we had cattle in our barns. Later we had hundreds of hogs.
My brothers and I were responsible for daily cleaning out the manure in the pens. It was a mess! Would I have preferred to not shovel every day? Of course! Going to school smelling like a hog farm wasn’t a popular thing.
It didn’t matter how much of my dad’s Old Spice I doused myself with, it was obvious that I lived on a farm. But consider this, if we had empty barns, we had no source of income. That’s an issue.
This proverb reminds us that where there is no work being accomplished, there is no mess or disorder to deal with. Yet, the mess an ox brings is worth it. There is a large harvest that comes from the impressive strength of an ox.
This proverb is not suggesting we should be sloppy physically or morally, but that we should be ready to accept unexpected issues or a mess to clean up. That’s the price for growth.
Those who insist that there should never be a mess or disorder will possibly miss the harvest!
I’m not suggesting that we should welcome disorder, messy situations, or discouraging moments. I’m saying that sometimes with a harvest, comes a messy moment. Clean it up…move on…celebrate the harvest!
There are some who, out of good intentions, are obsessed with making sure there is never any kind of “mess” to address among believers. Honestly, I’m that way. I prefer there to be no messes! But it’s going to happen.
As you follow God’s will for your life, as you serve Him…keep these verses from Romans 12 in front of you. Romans 12:9-11, 18, “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong.
Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
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Rex Stump is the Area Director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and serves as a Pastor at True North Church in Wauseon, Ohio.