I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose

He said to me, "you are my servant, Israel, and you will bring me glory."
I replied, "but my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose. Yet I leave it all in the Lord's hand; I will trust God for my reward.
Isaiah 49:3

Looking around my house today, you'd never know that I have spent the greater part of my week cleaning up, organizing, putting away, washing, cooking, filling, emptying, shuffling, purging...
Days like this make me wonder what on earth is the point!?
I guess the point is not on earth. This is where things just go on getting messy, breaking and emptying, or (in the case of my garbage can) overflowing with filth. For some deluded reason this always seems to come as a surprise to me. Like I think that if I vacuum the rug it will stay clean, but I have lived in this world long enough to know that even if it was just me living here and I never ever stood on the carpet or ate near it, it would still get dusty and dirty at some point. So why do I get so boiling mad when my 2 year old spills milk on something, or when I have to pick stuff up over and over and over and over? I'm learning that it is idolatry. I worship big clean houses that will be old some day, shiny new cars that will break down some day and pretty shoes and clothes that I will stain, rip or not fit in a year, in place of the God who makes all things new. How crazy is that?! The biggest problem is that it is unintentional. I don't even know I'm doing it until this angry feeling inside me wells up and wants to explode at the sight of a messy room, an unfinished house and yard or a broken down car in my driveway. I get angry because I have been defining myself with my belongings, instead of defining myself as a servant of God's. I need to be intentional about obeying and worshiping God, and then leave the rest in his hands. Whatever he sees fit to do with my work, my belongings, my time and my money will be good if I am walking in obedience to him. I can leave it in his hands and trust God with my reward.