Give Routine a Chance – Say “Yes” to God

Have you had a friend, former procrastinators, that surprised you with her faithfulness? She was good to you and good for you?  You’re glad and grateful. For those of us prone to delay, routine can be our best friend – provided the routine moves us to action. We’ll end September with a nod to our good friend.

Not attracted to routine?  Don’t like being “required” to follow a set pattern?  Actually, you probably rely pretty heavily on routine – and never think of them as hard to live with.  You brush your teeth each morning, tie your shoes a certain way, follow the same route to work. Notice the things you do repeatedly because they work for you.

Routine is just a regular course of procedure (Merriam Webster online)  God has established regular courses – seasons, day and night, activity and rest, the water cycle, etc. Utilizing routine is a way of saying “yes” to God.  Here’s why.

Routine enables us to do the most important things. That makes it very valuable. Have quiet time with the Lord, feed the family, show up at work.  God will impress upon you what is most important for you.  Establishing a pattern that addresses those things will enable you to accomplish them with less effort, less stress, and more success.

With routine, you do not have to reinvent the wheel daily.  Figure out what works best and focus on teaching the routine itself to yourself and the family until you no longer have to. Then you’re free to focus on the task.  Rest after lunch, wash dishes after each meal, Tuesdays Mom paints. The constant, steady repetition is what brings results.

It may take three weeks to teach yourself and family “we make tomorrow’s lunches after dinner.”  That’s a small price to pay for eight months of peaceful lunch prep and easier mornings.

Don’t be shy or let a rocky start deter you; hang in there.  You’ll grow to appreciate routine. You may decide to expand your association.

What priority do you need to make routine?