I dont want to be impolite...

I think she's just trying to be a good person/neighbor/friend and do good works for others. Which is okay in itself. Her technique just needs a little adjustment.. lol

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

It works! If you have guest over, how would you feel if they cleaned the kitchen, thought your desk was so bad they bought one for you, and rearranged their house? I'd never want that person over again. After all, they don't think I'm capable of taking care of them during their visit, think my furniture stinks, and think my ability to keep my own house is so bad they're rearranging my furniture.

As far as letting everyone in front of you in line? Truthfully, I'd look for you after a couple times, just to get ahead in line. I'd use you. But, that is what is happening to you. It's not being polite. It's being used.

I wish I could find a job cleaning house on Fridays only, I babysit my grandkids Monday thru Thursday. No, I'm not looking for thanks, that's not relevant to me since my goal is to please God. I realise if I'm cleaning pots and pans and not in there being social, then I can't respond to their conversations with a godly influence. The reward of someone saying two words "thank you" is not worth cleaning maggots, toilets, dishes, and yard work, but hearing God say "Well done good and faithful servant" is worth it. I did have my brother leave, you must not have read that post. Anyways, that was many years ago. Thank you for your thoughts.

Exactly, I've gone off track with good intentions and to get it back into proper alignment.

I guess my answer is also Mary and Martha. It is more important to learn about Jesus or to teach wwjd than to clean house.

"Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands" has to do with blessing and releasing people for ministry, not for healing. Don't commission elders who aren't steady in the faith, don't bless missionaries who are markedly immature, don't be a part of making the unready into the unruly.

Otherwise, I think the other posters have covered most of what I would have said. You may have to train yourself not to be a slave to others, but with God's help you can do it. Clearly it hasn't been successful in doing anything but making you frustrated, which completely undermines any godly motivation.

Put an ad in the local paper. That's how I got my cleaning jobs. Just make sure you include "Fridays only."

Sooner or later both Mary and Martha had to clean up after the guests left. I bet they even got Laz to help them.

OneFaith - I think you are an extremely godly person wanting to serve others. I understand some will question your motives, your techniques, your desires.

But if it is something you enjoy doing, I would only say to temper your ministry somewhat so you don't get burnout or feel resentful later. You obviously have the spiritual gift of mercy, but that means you just need to be careful and if there is another office move, gently ask before hand if they would feel terrible if you were willing to do that for them.

But I can definitely tell that you care for people, and that is greatly commendable.

OneFaith,

you truly are one of God's children.,..
hugs, sis...

Most of the time I do not enjoy doing it. Sometimes I feel obligated to. I know a lot of people are saying to get permission first, but that's not always the best thing for them. For example, angels finally had to take Lot by the hand and drag/lead him out of Sodom before it was destroyed. Sometimes you have to "snatch people from the fire" as the bible says.

I knew that if I asked permission to rearrange the rooms that they would say "No, that's OK, we'll do it when we're ready." It had already been seven years, they never would have got it done. And I know this because they said this months later when they told me again how thankful they were that I did that for them. These aren't strangers but people I know full well.

Laying on of hands was also used for healing. (Mark 16:18). And my feelings of frustration or the maturity it takes is irrelevant when it comes to serving God- just like Jesus' feelings were irrelevant when it was time to go to the cross. "Yet let not My Will but Your Will be done."

In that case, there's something else bothering you when it comes to helping people it seems.

Have you ever considered taking Neil Anderson's Steps to Freedom in Christ course? Any of his books are great, Victory over the Darkness, Bondage Breakers, The Steps to Freedom in Christ.

Or even a new book Rich Miller came out with from the same ministry called "Unstuck".

If it isn't broke don't fix it. I'm not broken.

You know your friends. However if I invited friends over and they started to clean up my house, I would never invite them over again. I would be incredibly insulted. It is one thing if you know they want help it is totally something else just doing it.

You have an overwhelming need to help people.. which is good in itself, but you've gone overboard with it somewhat. THAT needs to be fixed.

Again, no one was upset, and they requested more help from me. "Will you help me organise my cupboards?" "How do you think I should set up the nursery?" "If the dish fairy came to do my dishes again that would be great." Trust me, I know these people, and they were not insulted, angry, etc. They still make comments to this very day like "I'm so glad you did that for me, cause honestly I don't think I'd ever get to it."

On the contrary, they invited me over far more often.

OneFaith just beware not everyone will react that way you are lucky your friends reacted the way they have. I personally have experienced people giving unwelcome and unwanted help and I no longer have much to do with them, I keep them at arm's length. The friendship is no longer the same as it has changed the balance of power, it is no longer a relationship of equals. If I need or want help I would ask. If people need my help I am more than happy to give my assistance.

Yes, and each time it was to have you help them with something, right? I mean, why should THEY organize their own cupboards when they know YOU will do it for them? Same with setting up the nursery or the dishes. They won't do it themselves because they know sooner or later, you'll come and do it for them.

No offense Faith, but you're enabling these people. You're their go-to housekeeper, dishwasher, toilet cleaner and house fixer upper.

It's one thing to get invited over to visit. But there's absolutely NO reason why YOU have to do everything for them every single time you're at their house. You're enabling them to become lazy and depend on good old Faith to do it for them. You need to start setting some boundaries and start saying "NO" more often.