I totally snagged this concept from someone on facebook, but I’m in agreement, sometimes I think what our faith really needs is a good Jeopardy game.
“I’ll take legalistic bovine poo that’s not even in the bible for 400, Alex.”
Or how about “My Herman Netics looks like a soggy plate of pasta, Alex.”
“Fancy ninja move or simple cranal rectal inversion? for two hundred, Alex”
So I read an article, a poll, a study that was taken among Christian women and it kind of just broke my heart. 0, Zero, said they wrestled with fear a lot, and only 3 percent ever experienced a lot of doubt or confusion. We’re all just walking in complete joy, fulfillment, and spiritual freedom 24/7.
You know what that really means?? We’re all lying. Lying is actually a sin but I’ll get to that in a moment.
The next heartbreaking part was actually about sin. You know what the number one sin women allegedly wrestle with? Not any of the seven deadlies, “lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride.” Or lying. Nope, the number one “sin” was actually disorganization, by a staggering 50%. Number two, inefficiency, at 42%.
Women seem to believe the two “sins” that afflict us the worst are the “sin” of disorganization and the “sin” of inefficiency. I nearly cried because I see that truth reflected in so many of the woman around me. Those are politically correct “sins.” Socially acceptable “sins.” Many women I know really are wrestling with that shame/pride dichotomy around disorganization and inefficiency. We’re trying to “do it all, have it all, and be it all,” and our perception of sin really is related to our inability and our failures to actually, “do it all, have it all, and be it all.”
I put “sin” in quotes because “disorganization” and “inefficiency” are not in the bible anywhere, and if God cares about either one of them, He sure didn’t say so.
All in good humor here, but has no woman ever stabbed her boyfriend with a cocktail fork, drug his clothes out in the street, set them on fire, and then posted the whole thing on you tube? Asking for a friend…..
No, no I totally jest, but the weight of all that perfectionism and repressed need for control, efficiency, and organization, just felt really suffocating and painful to read.
Also, pretty much unbiblical. Legalistic. Not helpful. It turns women into production units, commodities valued only because of our efficiency and organization, our output, our works. Also, apparently we’re supposed to be joyous, spiritually fulfilled, sin free, and in complete denial as to the nature of ourselves and others at all times. What a horrendous and incredible amount of pressure…..
What a lie.
It also means we’ve learned this deception somewhere along the way, partially in our churches and from one another, because those were are all Christian women.
Also, how boring! No seriously, I can say this because I know we’re all lying, and it’s already been a done deal, but you need to expand your horizons, try some other sins on. Diversify! What do you even repent of, having lost the tupperware lids??
I can be a bit snarky sometimes but the whole matter really makes me feel sad. The one time Jesus even addresses women’s “organization” and “efficiency,” is actually in rebuke. Yep, in rebuke. As in, your value and worth are NOT supposed to reside anywhere in your organization and efficiency.
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
There is nothing inherently wrong with being organized and efficient, but there sure is something terribly wrong with half of all Christian women having no idea what sin is.
Becasue what you can’t see, you can’t set free.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
“…“disorganization” and “inefficiency” are not in the bible anywhere, and if God cares about either one of them, He sure didn’t say so.
I agree. Organization and efficiency, as used here, are in themselves, morally neutral personality traits, which neither uphold nor violate any precept or precedent set forth in God’s word.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well if Trib agrees, than I guess we have a majority…:)
LikeLike
That is such a telling postmodern attitude Gabrielle.
Everybody doesn’t get to have their own hip n groovy interpretation of the forever settled in heaven word of almighty God.
LikeLike
I like that very much, it sounds so much more academic and fancy smancy. Rather then simply calling myself a smart alec or descending into sarcasm in mockery of the perpetually offended, I’ll just go with, “such a telling post modern attitude.”
LikeLike
I find this so fascinating. The thing about being disorganized… this is exactly what comes when we are fed books and studies that address sin as merely “messy”. All the buzzwords those popular teachers use have turned us into weird home-bound organizers who can only focus on “oh come join me in my mess!” kind of Christianity… all while totally lying/ignoring the big actual sins in our lives, like you said. Too many out of context studies on that Proverbs 31 woman I think… yikes.
LikeLike
Exactly. I can think of so many Christian books and culture that paved the way for this “messy sin” idea. Chuckling here, but women are amazing muti taskers, I mean, we can actually sin in an efficient and organized manner!
And of course the biggest problem is that where there is no sin, there is also no grace, no healing, no love, no restoration, no peace. Not a whole lot of intimacy or sisterhood being built with one another, either.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So true! So we highlight the easy stuff, “oh look at me things are just so silly and messy around here!” while totally ignoring the giant hole in our heart that is full of fear and actual sin… it’s like putting a band aid on a gunshot wound and trying to walk around with a smile. Ugh.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ugh, indeed. We want to see whole hearts not holes in our hearts.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sad, funny, true… what the heck. I won’t lie: I struggle with all kinds of sin daily. It’s what keeps me running back to my Father in tears, sorry I let Him down AGAIN… But I guess if disorganization is a sin, I probably struggle with it, too – at least from what I can see where I now sit typing (books, Bibles, Hebrew grammar, prayer journals, opened mail, etc. all over the table… )
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wait…you still open your mail?? 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Umm… sure. Mostly.
LikeLike
LOL! I actually have a stack of unopened mail among all the books and papers. Nobody really writes letters anymore, so it’s just bills, junk mail, nothing of interest. I used to be so good about such things, but my attention has just waned.
LikeLike
I was a sinner before Jesus, I still sin, though not in the same ways after Jesus. The big tragedy with people who are “born again” is that they are just as much about personal effort as they always were, just about different things. The truth is, Jesus’ grace, once accepted, is all sufficient. When God sees you He sees Jesus Christ in your place. Jesus is perfect, so God “remembers your sins no more”, even though you will continue to fall until the day of perfection comes. When you are covered with grace and then sin, God immediately sees Jesus, your advocate, and remembers your sins no more, including inefficiency. Your efforts will never perfect you, Jesus’ advocacy already has.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Yes, amen! I’m in complete agreement.
And then over and over again, so many of us always seem to resort back to our own performance.
LikeLike
It took a stroke to wean me off performance. I can’t do now what I used to take for granted. Here’s hoping others learn that lesson less unpleasantly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“What do you even repent of, having lost the tupperware lids??” Another hysterical zinger that made me LOL. And then, “I can be a bit snarky sometimes . . .” No, really?! Hahah. Sorry, I’m probably getting too much joy our of reading your posts, IB, but your humor is just so delightful and your points are so right on. Yes, how sad that whoever took that poll didn’t have the freedom to state an actual sin or perhaps didn’t have the self-awareness or (worse) the Biblical knowledge to identify the ways they might be grieving the Holy Spirit. But this may be a result of our culture feeding us the lie that we humans are good. So what could possibly be a sin, if not the thing that noticeably keeps our lives from running like clockwork—the To Do lists we didn’t complete, the meeting we were late to with our son’s teacher, the small group Bible study we had to skip because it clashed with our daughter’s piano recital. We look past the heart to the activity and miss Christ’s point in the Sermon on the Mount, that what we think makes us guilty before the Lord, just as surely as do actions that break the commandments.
I feel a blog post coming. 😉
Becky
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ahh yes the sin of not being a robot. My biggest sin is seeing the sins in others and being preoccupied with them until it’s taken my eyes off my own sins.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I wonder where the survey taker found these women. No, wait–I’ll bet the survey was done in such a way that the women questioned were fearful of confessing real sins, let alone doubts and worries. Rest assured, IB, that the number of Christian women who fret most over disorganization is a much small number than this survey suggests. J.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“There is nothing inherently wrong with being organized and efficient, but there sure is something terribly wrong with half of all Christian women having no idea what sin is.”
Sad. LIke you said, if we cant identify sin properly we won’t see God’s grace properly!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amen. I’m so thankful I’ve never thought of disorganization and inefficiency as sins – must be why I’m so happy and joyful…says she peering over the piles of “important” on her desk…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Self deception can be a fatal flwa. Also He has plenty to say about liars…
2 Corinthians 13:5 [Full Chapter]
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Soo true. People can get so caught up in their dutiful tasks and put way too much weight on them that it looks like “sin” when they’re not performing them perfectly! I believe I’ve been through this myself in the past, but I am so glad God has brought me out of that. So much more peace.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Love that you made the correlation to martha! Great insightful wisdom. How sad that womem feel this way. Religion brings on a whole lot of guilt about confessing “real” sins but true freedom in Christ will never be obtained until we clear out our junk from our hearts! Fantastic article, you call it snarky i saw it as refreshing!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you for your kind words, much appreciated.
LikeLiked by 1 person
God works in mysterious ways! I just did a bible study about a week ago on John 11 and 12 and we discussed Martha’s personality. It was awesome to read your post here. Keep up the great work.
LikeLike
Interesting post. I wonder how big the sample size was for that study? That does seem odd. Do you think that maybe the church puts pressure on people to come across as perfect Christians, making us feel like we need to hide our struggles? It’s too bad that we can’t be more open about our imperfections and failings.
-David (https://greenwalledchapel.home.blog/)
LikeLiked by 1 person