I have come to love January because it gives me the space for re-setting the rhythms of life that support wholeness.  It’s like with the turn of the Calendar comes a cultural agreement that change is okay, as everyone does a clean sweep, re-evaluating what is important and setting new goals.  I know New Year’s resolutions can be so cliché, but it is a good and healthy practice.

 

If you’ve spent any time around here on the blog, then you’ll know that I love the idea of healthy rhythms and disciplines because they help us to intentionally stay connected to what we value and believe—they are tools that help us to practice the presence of God.

 

I know that some personalities bristle against the idea of any form of structure (actually, I think we can all appreciate that feeling every now and again), but overall, a flexible structure really does give us a system for the process.  And that’s what the rhythms are: a flexible structure that supports a system for spiritual formation.

 

The fact of the matter is, we all have rhythms we live by—some that are healthy, some not so much.  And if we don’t intentionally learn to set the rhythms, others will set them for us, which is why January feels like such a natural time for everyone to hit the re-set button.

 

As great as the holidays are, there is also a mad sense of crazy that can take over our lives.  It’s awesome at the moment (or maybe not, too) but eventually, it blows out leaving us weary and tired, just in time to start a whole new year.

 

So, instead of adding in a bunch of new resolutions how about re-setting the rhythms that support wholeness?

 

Starting with the rhythm of Quiet

 

Let’s start with the rhythm of quiet.

 

There is no better time of year than now to simply stop and enjoy some quiet.  Things are going to ramp up quickly enough, so just do it.  Take some time to be still and collect yourself.  We’re not talking about a month-long sabbatical here, just a day or two to where there is an intentional and distinctive sense of quiet, devoid of soul-sucking crazy.

 

This is essential because it’s only in the quiet that we can hear the voice of God.  We can be doing all the right things, but when our soul is so bunged up with duty and the noise of external need we will miss what God is speaking.  You understand what I mean, right?  When we submit to the rhythm of quiet we open ourselves to the voice of God, who leads and directs in the best way for every moment and event of our lives—good and bad.

 

The truth is, busy is not as impressive as it likes to boast.  Busy-ness is a distraction tactic of the enemy that feeds our sense of self-esteem and promotion.  Busy may infer importance, but really, it’s a greedy robber of joy and peace.  There is a better way that supports more and it starts with the rhythm of quiet.

 

In the place of quiet, we still the soul of all its busy activity, so that we can see the movement of God and hear the sound of his voice. Being still and quiet is simply about beholding God—not about responding.

 

“Be still and know that I am God.  I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  Psalm 46:10

 

 

 

 

Cleaning out

 

The invitation to come and simply behold the might and majesty of God is sobering, isn’t it?  To be still and quiet enough to see God in all his glory gives us a clear picture of who God is and who we are.  There is re-calibration that happens when we are quiet before God because His presence and power will evoke a response of surrender.

 

I don’t know about you, but when I am still and quiet before God, it clarifies things for me.  There is a whole lot of busy occupying my soul that becomes much less important when I view it in light of the greatness of God. Time spent in God’s presence—simply looking at Him—exposes my propensity toward self-promotion.  It’s in this place that I can best recognize my need to re-appropriate my behavior through surrender.

 

Cleaning out gives space to re-organize life with the rhythms that support wholeness (and by wholeness I am speaking about shalom).  When we are connected to the Father we have access to everything we need to produce godly kingdom fruit, which reflects the glory of God. Cleaning out silences the noise that blocks our hearing.

 

We all need to establish the rhythm of cleaning out—start with the physical matter and allow that disciplined act to shift the heart and lead the way for the internal shift.  It is both satisfying and cleansing.  Oh, that we take our cue from King David…

 

“Create in me a clean heart, O God.  Renew a loyal spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

 

The beauty of simplicity

 

Intricate and ornamental have their place.  I have a deep appreciation for the extra special touches in life, but I have learned to love the deep beauty of simplicity more.

 

Several years ago, my husband began preaching about why we need to build in margin to our scheduling. As a culture, we act as though happiness is achieved through a busy life because if we are busy we are important. Do you know what else fills the need for importance?  A whole lot of stuff—nice or otherwise.

 

My dad had an aversion for nick-knacks–dust collectors and time robbers, he called them.  He always said, “You don’t own stuff, stuff owns you—your time, your effort, and your worth.”  It used to bother me because it felt like he didn’t appreciate nice things, but I was wrong.

 

Simplicity is breath-taking and life-giving.  And it’s important to see this value all the way through.  A simpler way lightens the load, which opens the soul, creating a willingness to press into the more of God.  Simplicity is about clearing the soul of the weird (and not so weird) idols that trap and kill.

 

We don’t have to have or do what everyone else around has or does.  God invites us to experience something better, but we have to get brave enough to embrace a simpler way. This unmixed and genuine way allows us to be real, honest and authentic—to be our true selves.  The rhythm of simplicity gives us space to live as God created us to be.

 

“For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.” 2 Corinthians 1:12

 

 

 

Goal Setting (marking out the way)

 

Goals are necessary and important even in our relationship with God. The whole context of this post is about re-setting the rhythms that support wholeness, so understanding the ultimate goal is important.

 

As a follower of Christ, my priority goal is to know God, because in knowing Him I become who He created me to be. When I understand my goal, it helps me to discern what I will do and what I will not do, because if the choice before me doesn’t lead me into the more of God than, for me, it is a waste of time, effort, and resources.

 

This is the starting point.  We must define our ultimate why because that becomes the standard for the entire process.  Now, that’s a fairly broad goal, so I use it as a foundation to define specific goals that help me move to that end.

 

Re-setting the rhythms that are important and support what we value has to start with knowing what the value is.  Do you see what I’m saying?

 

In goal-setting with God, we’re just stripping it all back to identity and purpose.  Spiritual disciplines become tools that help us in our spiritual formation, which is about becoming who God created us to be.  We use these tools to help train the soul to walk according to who God created us to be and when we use these tools with our specific goal(s), we grow.

 

“Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.  Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.” Proverbs 4:25-27

 

Practicing the rhythms

 

There is an illustration that we use here at home—a lot.  It’s about a jar and rocks.  The jar, of course, represents our life, while the rocks represent aspects like relationships, commitments, dreams, and possessions.

 

Some of the rocks are big, some are small, and some are even so fine we can call it sand.  How we put those rocks in the jar matter.  One of the things we’ve learned is that the big rocks have to go in first and everything else gets settled in after, which makes perfect logical sense.  Here’s the finer point, we also have to learn to recognize what our BIG rocks are.

 

Everyone else will have an opinion about the rocks, but the truth is, only you can decide what those big rocks are.  And what we do—how we live—illustrates what we value most.  When it all comes down you and I must learn to take responsibility for what we’re doing because when we say yes to one thing, we are also deciding to say no to something else.

 

Re-setting the rhythms is like taking that rock-filled jar and dumping it out on the table.  We are like pack rats, jamming more and more into an already over-saturated life.  Is it any wonder we feel tired and weary?  But, when we dump the jar out we are better able to see what’s there.

 

Dumping out the jar gives us the perspective to see what is valuable and what’s just taking up space.  When we take the time to re-evaluate it allows us to re-establish healthy foundations—the rhythms—which support wholeness.

 

Doesn’t that sound good?

 

 

 

 

Assignment

 

Grab a journal, a pen, your Bible and whatever else might be helpful, and find some space to get alone with God.  Just ask Him to help and lead you as you lean into the quiet, ruthlessly cleanout, embrace simplicity, define your goals and establish the rhythms that will take you toward wholeness.

 

Spend time listening as you pray and as you read scripture.  Write it down and lean into it.  You may need to wrestle—that’s okay.  Surrender never comes easy, that’s what makes it so precious to God, which is why he counts it as worship.

 

Resist the lies that may float to the surface that direct toward performance, proving, and earning.  None of this is about worth, it’s about life; it’s about living from the abundance of God’s grace.  He paid for that so that you and I could experience wholeness.

 

Practicing the rhythms lead us into the presence of God.  And that presence is always full of God’s revelation of truth, justice, wisdom, and love. That’s where wholeness happens—when the fullness of who He is overwhelms the beloved of God, which only happens when we are completely surrendered and yielded to Him.

 

Be brave.  It’s so worth it!