Do you ever find yourself wondering how to rein in the crazy when life feels a little out of control? Yeah, me too.
I mean, God’s design for life is supposed to be about completeness, fullness and abundance, even, but somehow in the pursuit of all things good, we often find ourselves slaves to the tyranny of busy. The lives we live are full of endless commitments and responsibilities, but we tell ourselves to bare down and hold fast because the best is yet to come. Yet, underneath it all there’s a still quiet voice that questions, is this really the best way?
I stood before our family calendar, willing my soul to suck it up as I mentally mapped out the next two months. With a deep sigh, I pulled the whole thing down and sat head in hands with it, at the table. As I sat there staring at it all, I concluded that there was no doubt that it was the picture of a crazy life.
In that moment, I felt powerless. Never do I ever remember feeling quite as defeated as I did in that particular moment. Every commitment was important and valuable, but the very thought of following it through made me literally sick.
I prayed over it, worked through a color-coded system to give me some sense of hope, and then with fierce determination I kinda vowed to never allow things to get that out-of-control again.
Can you relate? I mean, there has to be a way to rein in the crazy, right?
Here’s the thing, life happens. All the careful planning in the world, will not circumvent the crazy things of life, but there is a better way.
What real life should look like
Can I tell you something? It makes me nuts that our culture celebrates the craziness of life. I am tired of seeing the faces of people around me, worn out by living enslaved to their schedules. Heck, I tired of finding myself stuck in this rut. This is not what God meant.
There is no way that the abundance of God looks like a people enslaved to the craziness of busy. Scripture tells us He has set us free from all that. I really believe that God’s plan is better. Now, I don’t mean to imply in any way, shape, or form, that God’s ways don’t include hard work or hard things, but his ways are different from the ways of the world.
“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10
How does that speak to you in light of this topic of living the crazy life?
This Scripture, fills me with hope, but it also serves as a warning, like a caution sign, because the temptation to strive—to work hard—for that promise is powerful. The enemy will take the promises of God, distort them just enough, and then hook us with our own propensity for self-importance, but God’s way, is for a rich and satisfying life. God doesn’t dangle impossible promises to tease us, instead He offers them with an invitation to trust him, because his way always leads to the very best.
Real life—the way God designed it—lives in alignment with the Holy Spirit. There is a sacred rhythm that when followed helps to rein in the crazy. It’s not a magic formula, but I think it is much easier than you might think.
Rule for Life
There is a spiritual discipline called, Rule for Life, which is specifically designed to help find ways to rein in the crazy when life feels out of control. In fact, the whole point of the discipline is to develop rules that work to create a rhythm of life which helps to guard against the crazy that seeks to steal, kill, and destroy.
Really, what we’re talking about here is bringing the heart back into alignment with God, because the core issue of all of this is worship.
Who do you really worship?
Yeah, tough question to answer honestly, right? Listen, don’t back down now, keep going. Dig this out, because it’s going to be worth it. Understand that this place of inner assessment and contemplation in partnership with the Holy Spirit, is so necessary in the process of healing and alignment, because without it, we will find ourselves back in the rat race of crazy all over again.
We will surrender and sacrifice to the one we love the most.
And that’s where we have to start. We take an inventory to determine to whom our surrender and sacrifice is directed. I can say I love Jesus and am completely devoted to him, but if my life lives subject to my schedule and the craziness of busy, then I’m lying to myself, because there is a huge disconnect there—my words and my behavior don’t line up.
The spiritual discipline of rule for life, helps design a pathway that keeps in step with God. It’s both intentional and methodical. We need to remind our hearts that discipline is about training, not punishment. Worship always starts in the heart. We have to learn how to train the heart so that all the moments of our lives are devoted to the LORD.
5 habits that help rein in the crazy
- Draw close to God
One of the best ways to rein in the crazy is to stand in peace. The presence of God gives access to everything we need, including wisdom to manage the details of our lives. Develop habits which nurture intimacy with the Father.
- Establish rhythms that honor your desires and limits.
We are all very different. You may need to start by understanding your identity in Christ. Who you are will very much affect what you do. God designed you to be exactly who you are and nobody else. You will have passions, abilities, and dreams that you need to pursue, but understand your limits and don’t be afraid to set boundaries.
- Keep short accounts
You will want to assess your spiritual journey regularly, not through comparison, but through your own establishment of accountability. Your unique set of rules will help give a format for this process, helping you hear the voice of God as he directs your steps.
- Pursue spiritual growth
Spiritual growth doesn’t just happen, it’s an intentional choice that you and I make to cooperate in the work that God wants to do—even more, it’s about actively giving him permission to do it. You and I—not our Pastors, parents, or friends—are responsible for our own spiritual growth. Pursuing spiritual growth is about developing a pathway that leads to deeper intimacy with God.
- People, places, and habits
We need to surround ourselves with healthy people who will encourage the rules we establish for ourselves, rather than with people who don’t want to understand. When we commit to habits that lead us into the presence of God, we will find ourselves going to the places that honor that too.
This is how we start to rein in the crazy.
Rein in the crazy = walking it out
So, here’s what I’ve learned since that fateful day in the kitchen with the messed-up calendar. I am probably my own worst enemy in the battle over how I live my life. As much as I’d like to blame a lack of boundaries on everyone else, I have come to see that where my schedule is concerned, it is usually my own lack of boundaries that gets me into trouble.
When we attempt to rein in the crazy we need to be willing to re-adjust our mindset about almost everything. I know, I just made it all sound impossible, right? Hang tight, because, like I said earlier, it’s not a cut and dried formula, it’s an ongoing process that gets better and perhaps even easier as we experience healing, as we embrace our God-given identity, and as we align our hearts with the heart of the Father.
Rule of life disciplines the heart to stay fixed on what we really value. So, some of the fruit of this process is:
- Deep down inner Spirit-led change
- Life rhythms that cooperate with the ongoing transformative work of God
- Keeping the crazy at bay
- Intentional and practical love of God—mind, heart, soul, and strength
- Joy and peace in the freedom to not do it all
- Christ-centered life = rich and satisfying life
How does that sound?
Here’s the thing, you are not alone. Really, we can work together to encourage and empower one another to press in to the more of God. Sign up for my weekly devotional and get access to other helpful resources, which help develop a disciplined lifestyle and join my Facebook group called, Chasing the more of God, where we develop and grow as we practice the disciplines together.
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