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A Rule/Rhythm of Life: An Introduction

January 7, 2020 by Ezers Leave a Comment

Growth through Establishing a Rhythm of Life

A Rule/Rhythm of Life is not intended to be a set of rules that binds, limits, or confines us.

“It is like a trellis which offers support and guidance for a plant to GROW in a certain direction. It’s an invitation to life in all its fullness depending on God and listening attentively to his voice.” —Stephen A. Macchia

Listen:

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1, 2  NIV)

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life-and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (Romans 12:1,2, The Message)

Reflect:

Happy New Year!  As I completed my 2019 year-end examen, I thanked God for ourTuesday Together writers who led us in Conflict Transformation reflections this past year. Hopefully we are all growing in allowing Jesus to transform us in the way we respond to conflicts we face in relationships.  

Our reflections for 2020 will be themed around framing and forming a more intentional personal Rule/Rhythm of Life as a Lifesprings community.  Stephen Macchia in his book, Crafting a Rule of Life defines it well: 

“Your personal rule of life is a holistic description of the Spirit-empowered rhythms and relationships that create, redeem, sustain, and transform the life God invites you to humbly fulfill for Christ’s glory.  It allows us to clarify our deepest values, our most important relationships, our most authentic hopes and dreams, our most meaningful work, our highest priorities.  It allows us to live with intention and purpose in the present moment.” 

Why have an intentional rule/rhythm of life? We are all living by an unwritten personal rule of life that we are following, some with great clarity, others unknowingly.

Without a defined rule of life, Macchia compares us to a wild, untamed grape vine that will produce some fruit, but probably won’t be as abundant as it could be.  Instead, we may become more vulnerable to things that threaten our spiritual vitality.   

A “rule” is not to be confused with a law. A rule/rhythm is like a trellis that holds up the vine, allows it to bear fruit, protects it from being trampled.   

As we begin 2020, will you join us as we  “take our everyday, ordinary lives, our sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life-and place it before God as an offering”.  

Prayer of response:

“Lord, as we begin a new year,  we bring before You as an offering, our spiritual, relational, physical, financial, missional priorities and invite You Holy Spirit to help us as we intentionally consider any changes You may be asking of us.  It is our heart’s desire to bring You glory Lord through our daily, weekly, monthly, seasonally, yearly, spiritual practices and priorities. Oh how we need Your strength and Holy Spirit to guide us. Amen.”

 —Submitted by Terri La Brie
 (Terri and her husband live in Southern California. They have 4 married children, 10 grandchildren and are expecting two more in 2020—a rule of life is helpful in prioritizing time spent with these precious ones.) 

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