I have a routine. For the most part, I stick with it… (sorry) routinely. This routine involves my morning habits, the way I dress, the foods I eat…nearly every area of my life.
I know people who hate routines. They find them boring. They see them as killers of spontaneity. If something is routine, they will (again…sorry) routinely avoid it.
Still others, many who have excelled in leadership, swear by routines. Some leaders advocate routines because they reduce decisions on less important matters. For instance, if you wear a uniform, you never stare at your closet wondering what to wear. If you eat out (only) every Friday evening, then you eliminate the question of what restaurant to visit Saturday through Thursday.
While I have a routine, I am not a slave to it; rather, I use it as a tool to help me achieve the goals that I have adopted. Meal planning (diets) work this way. If my body reacts well to a certain regimen of foods, I may set a routine of eating only these foods. This routine means I intentionally preclude other foods because they are not part of my routine. In this example, the diet is not dictating my life; rather, it is the roadmap I placed in my life to get me to an objective.
Such is true in my spiritual development. I believe that biblical knowledge (study of the Word) is essential to sanctification (becoming like Christ). [See Romans 7]. Sanctification is essential to effectiveness in God’s Kingdom work (mission). [See 1 Corinthians 9. esp. v.23] Effectiveness in mission is my objective. It requires sanctification which requires knowledge. So, I read the Bible. Routinely. I want to be an effective husband, dad, grand-dad, disciple-maker, teacher, neighbor, etc. These are part of God’s mission in and through me. So, again, I read the Bible. Routinely.
Another word for routine is discipline. My discipline (which takes about an hour a day to accomplish) has been built over years. When I started, it was about 15 minutes. Prayer. Proverbs. A chapter or two from the New Testament.
Two final thoughts:
- If I were beginning a new exercise regimen, I would not expect to spend two hours, two times a day in the gym…the first week. I’d be lucky to work out for an hour, three or four times per week. If I tried to keep up with the biggest and strongest on day one, I’d quit by the end of the first week.
- Second, I blow it from time to time. I get busy, oversleep, have a sin issue that prevents me from hearing God, etc. If I miss my routine for a day or two, I catch up on my reading. If this persists beyond a couple days, catching up will prove impractical. In such a case…I will fast forward to the plan for that day and pick up from there. What I cannot do is QUIT and declare that I’ll try harder next year. That’s defeating. It doesn’t work. So just skip to the right place and begin again. God won’t hate you if you admit to sleepwalking through parts of Leviticus or the genealogies…though there are some cool nuggets in there to find if you can discipline yourself.
Anyway, that’s me. Tomorrow I will share my actual routine (which will surprise some of you). Mostly I share for accountability, but it may also have some parts you want to add to your discipline.
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