Leaning into Spiritual Rhythms - Part 1

Why develop spiritual rhythms?

God created us to live rhythmically. I am not talking about music, but I do believe God created singing for his and our enjoyment. Revelation is full of references to singing in heaven. What I am talking about is the rhythms of life - what we see and do in everyday living —rhythms of breathing, day and night, seasons of the year, being awake and sleeping, work and rest. Rhythms are a necessary part of life. When thinking about the rhythms of life, the writer of Ecclesiastes undoubtedly has the best commentary.

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. 
A time to be born and a time to die. 
A time to plant and a time to harvest. 
A time to kill and a time to heal. 
A time to tear down and a time to build up. 
A time to cry and a time to laugh. 
A time to grieve and a time to dance. 
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. 
A time to embrace and a time to turn away. 
A time to search and a time to quit searching. 
A time to keep and a time to throw away. 
A time to tear and a time to mend. 
A time to be quiet and a time to speak. 
A time to love and a time to hate. 
A time for war and a time for peace.”
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NLT).

I first heard these words in the song “Turn, Turn, Turn” by the Byrds — before I became a Follower of Christ. They made perfect sense to me then and make even more sense now. We live our lives in rhythms, because God created our world with rhythms. We have no control over some rhythms - the sun’s rising and setting, seasons, etc. However, we do have control over many of the rhythms of our lives, which means that we can use rhythms to develop a “well-ordered life. The opposite of a well-ordered life is a life of confusion, chaos, and disorganization. Living well-ordered brings structure, focus, balance, and intentionality. But in our crazy, fast-paced world, how do we create a well-ordered life?

As we begin a new year, we usually consider how we would like the coming year to be different (better)than last year—how we want to increase order in our lives. So, we make resolutions, goals, ideas, targets, whatever you want to call them - things we think will make the new year better than the last one. We resolve, set a goal, or have a target of exercising more, eating better, losing weight, getting more sleep, watching less TV, and so on. Or maybe we set a goal of learning a new language, learning to play the guitar, or taking a class of some kind. Maybe we resolve to improve spending time with or staying in touch with family and friends. All of these are good, but they focus on the physical, mental, and social parts of our lives. What about the most important part—our relationship with God?

In the 6th century, Benedict of Nursia introduced rules for the monastic life. His original rules contained 73 chapters and focused on how to live an ordered life, seeking a closer walk with God, and living in community. Over the years, the concept of Benedict’s rules has been narrowed down and focused on developing what is called a “Rule of Life” - a way of ordering our lives.

What are spiritual rhythms?

I firmly believe in the benefits of developing a framework and goals for ordering our life with God, but I hesitate to use the word “rule.” It seems to me to be too restrictive and can quickly become legalistic. Therefore, I have adapted the concept into what I call “Spiritual Rhythms of Life.” These are specific spiritual practices and goals implemented in our lives that keep us consistently focused on drawing close to God. Developing the “habit” of spiritual rhythms in our lives allows Holy Spirit time and space to form us more into the image of Jesus.

What are the benefits of developing spiritual rhythms in your life?

1. They provide a blueprint for leaning into the presence of God.
   A blueprint is a “detailed plan or program of action” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Spiritual Rhythms provide a definitive path for engaging God in an ordered and comprehensive way.

2. They give specific directions for engaging God.
   The spiritual rhythm “blueprint” provides specific ways (spiritual practices) that give us the ability to connect, commune, and communicate with God.

3. They prioritize regularly connecting with God.
   Developing and then living out our spiritual rhythms indicates they are a priority in our lives. Consistently living them out reinforces that priority.

4. They give order to our often hectic lives.
   Life can become hectic very quickly. Just like stopping and taking a deep breath to settle our nerves, living in our spiritual rhythms settles our spirit.

5. They create faithful habits for engaging our Lord.
   God desires that we are faithful to him, which is why he abhors idolatry. Faithfully living out our spiritual rhythms daily, week after week, creates faithfulness in loving and worshipping God.

We have discussed the “why” of developing spiritual rhythms in life - the background, description, and benefits. Next week, we will look at the “how” of developing spiritual rhythms. How you can develop them and put them into action.

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