Part Two: Living Ordered Lives - Spiritually and Physically
Just an honest confession — there were times in my life when I could not have written a blog like this. This was true of some of these areas even in recent years. So let me say that God is kind to be near to us, help us grow, and shape us more into his image (which, as the last blog stated, is an ordered image).
I am not writing this as a perfect example in these areas, but as a man who has been diligent for years and has seen the Lord bring growth and order to my life by honoring my feeble efforts of obedience. This is the story of every Christian, and we are all at different stages. Praise God for that!
Here are the spheres of order that I think serve as pillars in the world in which God has made us to function: myself, my family, my job, and my church. Today, we will focus on personal life.
The Bible is clear that we should love our neighbor and also clear that husbands should love their wives. But here is something that doesn’t get much attention in both passages that address loving our neighbor and husbands loving their wives — loving ourselves.
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” — Matthew 22:39
“So husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ
does the church.” — Ephesians 5:28–29
Here is what I have come to understand — Scripture assumes that we care for ourselves, and that ordinary concern for our own well-being becomes a standard for how we love others. I believe this has significant implications for how I steward my own life. Of course, by loving myself, I do not mean the same thing as the squishy kind of “self-love” that comes from worldly psychology.
With that out of the way, let me make a case for bringing order to my personal life in two categories: spiritual and physical.
Spiritual
I have found that the foundational practices for bringing order to my spiritual life are remarkably simple — Bible reading, prayer, meditation, and application. Of course, the Christian life involves much more, but these are the basic disciplines that have helped establish order in my own life.
Let me share a few convictions I have developed over the years that have helped me avoid mystifying these biblical disciplines:
Bible Reading — I read my Bible daily. Ideally first thing in the morning. I read an OT chapter, NT chapter, and a Psalm/Proverb.
Prayer — I have sought to make prayers of praise, confession, and intercession a daily practice, both through intentional times of prayer and throughout the ordinary activities of life. This has been practiced with prayer cards, prayer list in my phone, etc.
Meditation — I have learned that I need more than simply reading words on a page or saying words in prayer. I need to meditate on God's Word. This, perhaps, is the method of reading and praying that gets to the heart. This is not less than Bible reading and prayer, but is certainly more than mere Bible reading and prayer.
Application — I have had to learn that reading, praying, and meditating are not ends in themselves. I must seek to put into practice what I am learning from God's Word, rather than simply accumulating knowledge. With application as the goal, it emphasizes that what I do in the morning in reading, praying and meditation should be seen throughout the day.
Here is the reality I have had to confront in my own life: I can make excuses for neglecting these things, and I have made plenty of them. I have learned that I cannot excuse spiritual neglect simply because life is busy or my schedule is inconsistent. I do not mean to say that we will go to hell if we miss a single day, but I do mean to say that our lives must be marked by these things. I have seen firsthand how neglecting them contributes to disorder in my spiritual life.
Notice what the statements above do not say — when, where, and what to read in the Bible, pray about, meditate on, and apply. These are matters I have had to work through personally, often with the help of trusted brothers and sisters in Christ. I have been tremendously helped by simply asking others how they practice such disciplines.
The iterations of how I do these things have changed hundreds of times. I have succeeded in these ways, and I have failed in these ways. I have wondered what to do, when to read, and how to balance the inconsistencies of life.
But the biblical importance of these things has not changed, and I have had to stop allowing excuses to keep me from practicing them. I have learned that conviction without action does very little good. One of the greatest helps to me has been having people in my life who encourage me, challenge me, and hold me accountable in these areas. I am convinced that the people around me have benefited from the Lord bringing greater
spiritual order into my life.
Physical
I have also found that bringing order to my physical life involves three remarkably simple categories: rest, diet, and exercise. And each of these is distinctly Christian in its purpose because I am an image bearer. Being an image bearer means that I have been given a physical body to be stewarded to the glory of God.
Let me share a few excuses I have made over the years. Perhaps some of them will sound familiar. “I am too busy.” “It is too expensive.” “I have to die of something.” “I have time, I am still young.” “I am too tired.” “It is too hard.” “I will do it later.” “I'm not trying to impress anybody.” “I have more important things to worry about.”
Friends, I genuinely understand these thoughts because I have had them myself. Certainly, there are legitimate circumstances that make physical discipline difficult. But I had to come to terms with the fact that what I frequently called a reason was actually an excuse. I had allowed the exceptions of life to become my normal way of living, and I needed to repent of that.
This is the conviction I have developed: the way I eat, sleep, and exercise should reflect Christian principles. After all, Christ is Lord over my body just as much as he is Lord over my soul.
Here are some of the practical ways I have sought to bring greater order to my life in these areas:
Rest
Consistency has been important for me. Go to bed at the same time, and wake up at the same time. No staying up late and no sleeping past alarms.
I have found it helpful to establish a standard for rest and seek to follow it.
Being unified with my wife about our schedules and the rhythms of our home has been an important part of that process.
I have also learned that ordering my day well helps me rest well at night. The more intentional I am with the responsibilities of the day, the easier it is to rest without feeling that I have neglected something important.
Obviously, things happen, and it's not sinful to occasionally do what is necessary — there are deadlines that require late nights and early mornings, kids get sick, etc. But I am talking about the normal kind of ordered rest.
Diet
One of the questions I have had to ask myself is this: Why do I eat what I do, how much I do, and when I do? This is a punch in the throat to me. Or might I say a punch to the gut. I have eaten too much, eaten straight garbage, snacked too much, and at times failed to eat what my body actually needed. Is there not a way to eat that glorifies God? Sure there is!
The Bible tells us to eat and drink for the glory of God!
Here are some principles that have helped me:
Have a plan. I have learned that in an age of convenience, if I do not have a plan, I will find myself eating at gas stations and fast food restaurants far more often than I should. Not only that, but without a plan, I am much more likely to eat three plates of those mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. Neither of these habits has served me well. I have experienced some of the negative consequences of lacking discipline in these areas, and having a plan has been one of the most helpful ways I have addressed them.
Have restraint. I have had to learn to tell myself no. Self-control is a real spiritual issue that shows itself in the way we eat. For me, this has meant recognizing that just because I want something does not mean I need it.
Changing my mind. I have had to change the way I think about food. For much of my life, I thought more about the satisfaction food provided than the nutrition my body needed. I have been learning to give greater consideration to how food nourishes and strengthens my body for the responsibilities God has given me. Of course, it can provide satisfaction. See the next point. But I have found it helpful to ask myself how what I am eating is actually serving my body and helping me fulfill my responsibilities.
Avoid asceticism. I have also had to remind myself that discipline does not mean refusing to enjoy God's good gifts. God has given us all things for enjoyment and as a way to glorify God — that even means cookies and cake. I do not want to become a food snob in response to my previous lack of self-control.
Bringing order to my diet has been a genuinely good thing and has contributed to greater order in other areas of my life. It has also been especially helpful that my wife and I have been able to work together toward this goal.
I am ashamed to admit how long I neglected this area of my life and made every excuse possible. Praise the Lord for his kindness, for good accountability, and for a wife who was patient with me and is aligned with me on these things.
Exercise
I am ashamed to admit how long I neglected this area of my life and made every excuse possible. Praise the Lord for his kindness, for good accountability, and for a wife who was patient with me and is aligned with me on these things. Yes, you just read that sentence twice because it applies to diet and exercise.
One of the convictions I have developed is that I need to give intentional attention to the strength and abilities of my physical body. I cannot simply assume that my body will remain capable of doing what I need it to do without specific care and effort. What this looks like has changed for me through different seasons of life, and I recognize that it will look different for others based on all kinds of variables.
I could give a lot more specifics, but one of the most important lessons I have learned is simply to do something. I spent far too much time thinking about what I should do, what I could do, or what I would eventually do. But eventually I had to actually do something. And I am grateful that I did. I believe my family and the people around me are better served because I have begun taking greater responsibility for my physical health and strength.
Take a moment and evaluate the order in your personal life based on your spiritual and physical life. How are you doing? Is Christ the Lord over these areas? Most certainly he is!
As I reflect on the order God has brought into my spiritual and physical life, I am reminded that there is still much room for growth. Christ is Lord over every area of my life, including the ordinary habits that make up my days. Where I have recognized sin, I have needed to repent. Where I have lacked wisdom or discipline, I have needed to make changes. And
through it all, I have seen the kindness of God in helping me grow.
My hope in sharing these things is not that everyone would adopt my particular routines, but that my experience might encourage others to consider how the Lord would have them grow in these areas as well.
There is great joy in seeing God bring order to a life that once lacked it. And there is great hope in knowing that he is not finished with any of us yet.
SDG,
Ryan
I am not writing this as a perfect example in these areas, but as a man who has been diligent for years and has seen the Lord bring growth and order to my life by honoring my feeble efforts of obedience. This is the story of every Christian, and we are all at different stages. Praise God for that!
Here are the spheres of order that I think serve as pillars in the world in which God has made us to function: myself, my family, my job, and my church. Today, we will focus on personal life.
The Bible is clear that we should love our neighbor and also clear that husbands should love their wives. But here is something that doesn’t get much attention in both passages that address loving our neighbor and husbands loving their wives — loving ourselves.
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” — Matthew 22:39
“So husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ
does the church.” — Ephesians 5:28–29
Here is what I have come to understand — Scripture assumes that we care for ourselves, and that ordinary concern for our own well-being becomes a standard for how we love others. I believe this has significant implications for how I steward my own life. Of course, by loving myself, I do not mean the same thing as the squishy kind of “self-love” that comes from worldly psychology.
With that out of the way, let me make a case for bringing order to my personal life in two categories: spiritual and physical.
Spiritual
I have found that the foundational practices for bringing order to my spiritual life are remarkably simple — Bible reading, prayer, meditation, and application. Of course, the Christian life involves much more, but these are the basic disciplines that have helped establish order in my own life.
Let me share a few convictions I have developed over the years that have helped me avoid mystifying these biblical disciplines:
Bible Reading — I read my Bible daily. Ideally first thing in the morning. I read an OT chapter, NT chapter, and a Psalm/Proverb.
Prayer — I have sought to make prayers of praise, confession, and intercession a daily practice, both through intentional times of prayer and throughout the ordinary activities of life. This has been practiced with prayer cards, prayer list in my phone, etc.
Meditation — I have learned that I need more than simply reading words on a page or saying words in prayer. I need to meditate on God's Word. This, perhaps, is the method of reading and praying that gets to the heart. This is not less than Bible reading and prayer, but is certainly more than mere Bible reading and prayer.
Application — I have had to learn that reading, praying, and meditating are not ends in themselves. I must seek to put into practice what I am learning from God's Word, rather than simply accumulating knowledge. With application as the goal, it emphasizes that what I do in the morning in reading, praying and meditation should be seen throughout the day.
Here is the reality I have had to confront in my own life: I can make excuses for neglecting these things, and I have made plenty of them. I have learned that I cannot excuse spiritual neglect simply because life is busy or my schedule is inconsistent. I do not mean to say that we will go to hell if we miss a single day, but I do mean to say that our lives must be marked by these things. I have seen firsthand how neglecting them contributes to disorder in my spiritual life.
Notice what the statements above do not say — when, where, and what to read in the Bible, pray about, meditate on, and apply. These are matters I have had to work through personally, often with the help of trusted brothers and sisters in Christ. I have been tremendously helped by simply asking others how they practice such disciplines.
The iterations of how I do these things have changed hundreds of times. I have succeeded in these ways, and I have failed in these ways. I have wondered what to do, when to read, and how to balance the inconsistencies of life.
But the biblical importance of these things has not changed, and I have had to stop allowing excuses to keep me from practicing them. I have learned that conviction without action does very little good. One of the greatest helps to me has been having people in my life who encourage me, challenge me, and hold me accountable in these areas. I am convinced that the people around me have benefited from the Lord bringing greater
spiritual order into my life.
Physical
I have also found that bringing order to my physical life involves three remarkably simple categories: rest, diet, and exercise. And each of these is distinctly Christian in its purpose because I am an image bearer. Being an image bearer means that I have been given a physical body to be stewarded to the glory of God.
Let me share a few excuses I have made over the years. Perhaps some of them will sound familiar. “I am too busy.” “It is too expensive.” “I have to die of something.” “I have time, I am still young.” “I am too tired.” “It is too hard.” “I will do it later.” “I'm not trying to impress anybody.” “I have more important things to worry about.”
Friends, I genuinely understand these thoughts because I have had them myself. Certainly, there are legitimate circumstances that make physical discipline difficult. But I had to come to terms with the fact that what I frequently called a reason was actually an excuse. I had allowed the exceptions of life to become my normal way of living, and I needed to repent of that.
This is the conviction I have developed: the way I eat, sleep, and exercise should reflect Christian principles. After all, Christ is Lord over my body just as much as he is Lord over my soul.
Here are some of the practical ways I have sought to bring greater order to my life in these areas:
Rest
Consistency has been important for me. Go to bed at the same time, and wake up at the same time. No staying up late and no sleeping past alarms.
I have found it helpful to establish a standard for rest and seek to follow it.
Being unified with my wife about our schedules and the rhythms of our home has been an important part of that process.
I have also learned that ordering my day well helps me rest well at night. The more intentional I am with the responsibilities of the day, the easier it is to rest without feeling that I have neglected something important.
Obviously, things happen, and it's not sinful to occasionally do what is necessary — there are deadlines that require late nights and early mornings, kids get sick, etc. But I am talking about the normal kind of ordered rest.
Diet
One of the questions I have had to ask myself is this: Why do I eat what I do, how much I do, and when I do? This is a punch in the throat to me. Or might I say a punch to the gut. I have eaten too much, eaten straight garbage, snacked too much, and at times failed to eat what my body actually needed. Is there not a way to eat that glorifies God? Sure there is!
The Bible tells us to eat and drink for the glory of God!
Here are some principles that have helped me:
Have a plan. I have learned that in an age of convenience, if I do not have a plan, I will find myself eating at gas stations and fast food restaurants far more often than I should. Not only that, but without a plan, I am much more likely to eat three plates of those mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. Neither of these habits has served me well. I have experienced some of the negative consequences of lacking discipline in these areas, and having a plan has been one of the most helpful ways I have addressed them.
Have restraint. I have had to learn to tell myself no. Self-control is a real spiritual issue that shows itself in the way we eat. For me, this has meant recognizing that just because I want something does not mean I need it.
Changing my mind. I have had to change the way I think about food. For much of my life, I thought more about the satisfaction food provided than the nutrition my body needed. I have been learning to give greater consideration to how food nourishes and strengthens my body for the responsibilities God has given me. Of course, it can provide satisfaction. See the next point. But I have found it helpful to ask myself how what I am eating is actually serving my body and helping me fulfill my responsibilities.
Avoid asceticism. I have also had to remind myself that discipline does not mean refusing to enjoy God's good gifts. God has given us all things for enjoyment and as a way to glorify God — that even means cookies and cake. I do not want to become a food snob in response to my previous lack of self-control.
Bringing order to my diet has been a genuinely good thing and has contributed to greater order in other areas of my life. It has also been especially helpful that my wife and I have been able to work together toward this goal.
I am ashamed to admit how long I neglected this area of my life and made every excuse possible. Praise the Lord for his kindness, for good accountability, and for a wife who was patient with me and is aligned with me on these things.
Exercise
I am ashamed to admit how long I neglected this area of my life and made every excuse possible. Praise the Lord for his kindness, for good accountability, and for a wife who was patient with me and is aligned with me on these things. Yes, you just read that sentence twice because it applies to diet and exercise.
One of the convictions I have developed is that I need to give intentional attention to the strength and abilities of my physical body. I cannot simply assume that my body will remain capable of doing what I need it to do without specific care and effort. What this looks like has changed for me through different seasons of life, and I recognize that it will look different for others based on all kinds of variables.
I could give a lot more specifics, but one of the most important lessons I have learned is simply to do something. I spent far too much time thinking about what I should do, what I could do, or what I would eventually do. But eventually I had to actually do something. And I am grateful that I did. I believe my family and the people around me are better served because I have begun taking greater responsibility for my physical health and strength.
Take a moment and evaluate the order in your personal life based on your spiritual and physical life. How are you doing? Is Christ the Lord over these areas? Most certainly he is!
As I reflect on the order God has brought into my spiritual and physical life, I am reminded that there is still much room for growth. Christ is Lord over every area of my life, including the ordinary habits that make up my days. Where I have recognized sin, I have needed to repent. Where I have lacked wisdom or discipline, I have needed to make changes. And
through it all, I have seen the kindness of God in helping me grow.
My hope in sharing these things is not that everyone would adopt my particular routines, but that my experience might encourage others to consider how the Lord would have them grow in these areas as well.
There is great joy in seeing God bring order to a life that once lacked it. And there is great hope in knowing that he is not finished with any of us yet.
SDG,
Ryan
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