Proverbs 25:28 Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls. NKJV

In Old Testament times, perhaps more than our modern day, cities were often known to have walls. The entire book of Nehemiah is devoted toward the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem. Why were walls so important?

Walls gave protection. Walls provide definition and boundaries. Walls serve as reminders of the need for discipline and self-control. These days, we may use fences instead, defining property lines, keeping pets in our own yard, giving children an area of relative safety to play.

When it comes to home organization, our systems provide some of this needed self-discipline and as well as healthy boundaries (i.e. we only eat in certain areas of the house or paint in certain rooms, etc.) But the systems themselves won't work for long if we don't maintain, or practice, them regularly.

For example, you may have created a system for managing shoes and coats in your foyer. But if you and your family still carry them into the living room and dump them on the couch, your system won't be of any help. You have to discipline yourself, and help others be disciplined, to maintain the systems you have set up.

There will be times, also, that you will need to do maintenance on parts of your home. It is natural for homes to age and need repair (just like cars, and us!) By applying regular maintenance, you can keep your home in better shape for many years.

Spiritually, we can use and maintain systems that help us consistently grow. These are often referred to as "spiritual disciplines." These may be practices such as church attendance, Bible reading/study, small group fellowship, prayer, quiet moments, fasting, etc. Without regular "feeding" one does not grow and strengthen.

It is important to establish and maintain disciplines in life. Be careful, however, not to elevate the system above the reason for it. You are establishing systems in your home to create a peaceful, serving environment, not to become a control freak. You create unique patterns of spiritual discipline to grow in your walk with Christ, not to just check off a list to feel like a good Christian.

Periodically review your systems, whether at home or within your spiritual journey. Tweak and polish to keep the main thing, the main thing.