Sometimes it simply isn’t working. You had a rhythm of Bible reading, a rhythm of Church attendance, time away from technology, or time in prayer. It was all working well and you felt like you were growing in your faith. . . but now life has changed. 

 

Before Lucy Joy entered the world, Grace and I always had our sabbath on Monday. Grace didn’t work, Sunday was still 6 days away (because it had just happened!). It was the easiest day for both of us to truly rest. We loved our Mondays together and felt refreshed living into God’s design for us. The sabbath is a gift! Yet, when Lucy came, our days shifted around and for childcare reasons we decided Saturday would be our Sabbath. Saturday would be the day where we didn’t work, where we rested, worshipped, and played. 

 

Our plan failed. Sermons were never finished. People were always free to meet, and with Sunday just one day away it felt impossible as a pastor to not focus on work. For more than a year we trudged through a half-hearted sabbath where both Grace and I were constantly looking at each other unsure when the rest would actually begin. 

 

It’s been said that “the status quo is quite a drug.” It takes energy and commitment to change our rhythms and our habits, especially our spiritual ones. Grace and I remained in that half sabbath status quo for months because change is hard. We wanted to make it work and we genuinely believed that next week would be different. 

 

You’ve likely had an experience similar to this where your life changes due to a new kid, new activities, new classes, or new work and your old spiritual habits get left behind. This is how Grace and I ended up struggling to Sabbath for months on end, because our lives had changed, but our habits had not. 

 

Grace and I have found the idea of a “Rule of life” helpful for us as we think about the priorities we want to have as a family. It’s hard to change your rule of life because it can feel like defeat to change course. It felt like a failure to not be able to sabbath on Saturdays. And yet, making that change to sabbath on Mondays again has been a way to experience more of the Lord’s rest, peace, and joy. 

 

Let this be an encouragement to take a look at your rhythms and habits and ask, what is working and what is not? It takes wisdom to know when you need to make a change and when you just need more discipline, but James tells us if we ask for wisdom God will provide it (James 1:5). If you’ve always said you want to read your Bible at a certain time but you haven’t been able to, maybe consider making a change. You can do the same with any number of spiritual practices: from generosity, to prayer, to hospitality. We see clearly what it means to follow Jesus when we read the gospels and the epistles, but tailoring that call to your specific life takes wisdom and a willingness to submit to Jesus as he’s revealed in his word.  

 

Lent, the season of preparation for Easter, is a fitting time to ask God for wisdom. It’s a time when you can go to God in prayer and admit that you don’t have all the answers for how your life should look and that you need his wisdom. In 1st Corinthians 3:9 we are told, “You are God’s field.” What does God want to produce in you? Spiritual fruit. As we humbly ask for God’s wisdom and his presence I am confident he will produce spiritual fruit in us this Lenten season. 

 

May the God who has begun a good work in you bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6).

 

As ever,

Pastor Tyler