For the past two years, God has been working on getting me into a better routine. It often means I have to get up a little earlier. Every day, I need to do some exercise, my five steps, write, and read a few pages from my book. It sounds easy. It should be easy, and it would probably be easy for others. But, it is such a struggle for me to fit these things in every day.
Now, I can always find time for other things. I stay caught up on my sports YouTube channels. I can waste a good hour scrolling through my phone. I find time to hit a new restaurant in my neighborhood. Why are those things always so easy?
There comes a point where my desire to go deeper in my relationship with God requires discipline. Going to church on Sunday is wonderful, but it doesn't require much from me. The pastor and worship team do all of the work. I know to grow any relationship means putting in effort and time. I want to know God more. I want to be near Him. I want to be in the presence of Truth.
Some days, I can find the time for my routine easily, particularly on the weekend But other days, like today, require some extra discipline and an early alarm. Do I like it? No. Am I glad I did it? You bet. God is intentional with his relationship with me and I want to be intentional with my relationship with Him.
I'm working to grow a deeper relationship with God and also set some good routines. Here's a few things I'm keeping in mind:
1. Routines are for us, not for God. We are the ones needing a deeper relationship with God. I wish I could say my desire to know God is simply due to my love for Him. Yes, I love God deeply. But, my story is one filled with mistakes, hurt, and failure. I want to go deeper with God because I need Him. Deep pain requires a deep relationship, and girl, I've got some deep pain. My soul needs healing, and I know who my Healer is.
A few years ago, I was on vacation in Florida. It was a hot, sunny day, and I was swimming in the ocean, enjoying myself. I love to swim, and I particularly love being underwater while snorkeling. It is quiet underwater, and there's an entire world to explore. I love to see God's creativity at work. I saw crabs, tropical fish, and plants on a glittering backdrop of white sand. I let myself relax, float along, and explore for quite some time.
When I finally decided to return to our spot on the beach, I swam to shore and was surprised to see how far I had drifted from our towel and umbrella. Completely lost in my underwater world, I hadn't even noticed. It took me quite a while to walk back to our spot.
The same is true of our spiritual life. Life will bring suffering, pain and even distraction. The waves are always pulling us in one direction or another. Nothing in life is neutral, so we're always drifting somewhere. We can choose to go deeper with God, or we can drift backwards where it is comfortable and familiar. Going deeper requires discipline, because we often have to swim against the current instead of allowing ourselves to naturally default back to our comfort zones.
We may even have to set an alarm at 6 a.m.
2. A habit takes time to form. According to Google AI, a habit takes an average of sixty-six days to form. That's a long time! I think it probably takes longer for me, because I am more stubborn than the average person. When you decide to add something new to your routine, remember that perfection isn't the goal. Life will throw you curveballs, and you may fall off schedule - but don't give up. Instead of being hard on yourself, simply pick up where you left off and continue incorporating it into your days.
About a year ago, I decided I needed to add exercise into my daily routine. In my thirties, I actually ran a marathon. But now, the only running happening was to the refrigerator and back. I was carrying a lot of pain in my arms and shoulders from sitting at a desk all day, and I knew God was calling me to take better care of my body.
I decided to train for a marathon again. I had a rigorous routine, but no matter how hard I tried, I kept failing at it. I didn't want to do the long runs. I had no desire to plan my courses. I failed over and over. I was so frustrated with myself. I had run a marathon before, so why couldn't I do it again?
I prayed for help. God, you want me to exercise but I can't do it. Give me the desire, Lord! Give me the discipline! Then, God asked me Why do you need to run a marathon? Now, you dear reader, may have common sense and realize this is a logical question. Also, as a side note, isn't it always interesting that God often asks us questions in response to our problems?
It hadn't occurred to me that I could add exercise into my routine without training for a marathon. I didn't have to shoot for the moon. There is a happy medium between running a marathon and never getting off the couch.
I began to exercise for five minutes a day. It may sound silly, and I questioned why I was even bothering. What would five minutes a day do for me? Surely I needed to work out for a minimum of thirty minutes. Nevertheless, I found Youtube exercise videos and worked out for five minutes at a time. Every time I would try to increase my time, I would lose my consistency.
It took several months, but soon I was doing my five minutes of exercise every day. My back and shoulders felt better and I could feel that I was getting stronger. I had implemented something achievable for me. Starting with extremes is a very difficult way to implement a new routine. Setting realistic expectations is important.
2 Timothy 1:7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
3. Remember your goal. Establishing a routine is all about freedom, not restrictions. Anything that brings us closer to God and aligns us with His will for our lives brings freedom. It may not feel that way when the alarm goes off in the mornings, but if we are aligned with God's will in our routines, they will bring peace.
Exercise brings me peace, as does my five-step method of prayer. I also find peace in reading about God, and writing - my greatest joy - brings me the deepest sense of peace. I don't understand why things that are good for us require discipline, but they do. The flesh is at work, and it wants to stop us from living the life God has in store for us.
It's easy to see the discipline of going deeper in our relationship with God as a restriction, but in reality, true restrictions come from a lack of discipline. When I don't exercise, I experience back and shoulder pain. When I don't pray, my anxiety increases. Of course, we can go overboard with our routines. We don't all need to be in marathon training. But, deepening our relationship with God takes effort, and it isn't always easy.
When Jesus met the woman at the well, it was during the hottest time of the day. It was unusual for someone to be at the well at that time of the day, but she was. Why didn't she retrieve water with the other women first thing in morning? After five different husbands, she was ashamed to face the other women. She knew no one would be there at the hottest time of the day. She was living a life of restriction. Jesus was there to free her from her life of restriction.
Our goal is to experience the freedom that occurs by deepening our relationship with God. A little discomfort when the alarm goes off at 6 a.m. is nothing compared to the peace and joy I feel after spending time Him.
Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
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