SPIRITUAL HEALTH IN UNCERTAIN TIMES, PART 3

But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. Daniel 6:10 NLT

One of the toughest aspects of uncertain times is the feeling that nothing is quite normal. It is difficult to feel a sense of personal balance when everything seems off-kilter. 

This short blog article aims to build on the previous articles in this series and to help with this very thing.

Today’s Tip: Create good routines.

Many psychologists tell us that building healthy routines into our lives can be very important - especially at times like this. Routines are significant because they help to ensure that important parts of life aren’t lost in the shuffle of uncertainty. I think of the example of Daniel in the Old Testament. When some leaders hatched a plot against Daniel which resulted in King Darius signing an idolatrous decree, Daniel maintained his regular daily prayer routine just as he had always done. For Daniel, his most important routine was maintaining his relationship with the Lord through prayer.

Perhaps, like me, you’ve discovered that routines are difficult in times like these: especially if you’re trying to navigate work or family life from home. With near-constant shifts in work requirements, church and social event planning, and frequent self-quarantining and sheltering in place, it is almost impossible to develop any type of regular schedule. For families stuck under one roof for longer durations of time than normal, there will be many interruptions - especially families with young children. For retired folks or singles, each day may drag on and seem drably similar to the last, contributing to a sense of isolation. Regardless of your situation, it is important to be proactive in pursuing good things, rather than allowing life to just happen to us. Intentional living with little things can go a long way.

Getting Proactive:

So, what are ways you might be intentional in pursuing good things each day? For me, I’ve chosen to start each day by reading the Bible, making the bed, getting a little exercise, getting a shower and getting dressed for the day. I don’t have to do any of these things when I’m working at home. But when I do, I get things started off on the right foot. My wife has recently added a phone call with a close friend 3 mornings per week in order to pray for one another. This intentional step provides an important social connection with a friend where they each receive emotional encouragement while also giving a spiritual boost as they pray for one another and their families together. Our family has also tried to add intentionality at the end of the day. After dinner, each member of our family has a daily chore to do and then we work together to straiten up the house. 

Your family and work situation will likely be different than mine, but I provide a few examples from our family just to encourage you that it can be done. By doing these things, we add intentionality to our lives and we control some of the things in life we are responsible for. In so doing, we are proactively pursuing good things, rather than allowing life to just happen to us. 

A helpful hint: Healthy routines are about pursuit, not perfection.

I am writing today to emphasize the importance of being intentional in creating healthy routines. This takes diligence and a bit of self-discipline each day. Proverbs speaks a lot about this. For example, Proverbs 4:23 says, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 13:4 says, “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.” Good routines are regularly doing things that help us to pursue godly health and well-being. As we do that, however, it is important that we extend grace to ourselves. Stress levels are high and much about life is less than ideal. We need to cut ourselves some slack when things don’t go as well as we’d envisioned. This is not an excuse to fall into unhealthy patterns (see blog post about tip #2), but a simple reminder that healthy routines are not about perfection.  Sometimes our personal expectation of perfection works against the goal of routines. Perfectionism saps life whereas healthy routines are meant to be life-giving. For example, sometimes an important routine gets interrupted or supplanted for the day, and we can be tempted abandon it all together because it’s not going as well as we had hoped. In times like these we must remind ourselves that healthy routines are about pursuit, not perfection. We ask for God’s grace, then extend it to ourselves, and get back to it again tomorrow.

Reflection:

• Daniel is a great example of a godly man who maintained an important routine during a highly stressful time. How does his example inspire you?
• What are some of the good things that you want to be sure to incorporate into your day?
• What things could you shift to allow this to happen?
• Do you find yourself stressed out by perfectionism? Accept God’s grace and extend it to yourself.

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you are with me in the midst of the uncertainties of this season. You are powerful and loving and you have a plan for my life during this time. Please reveal to me the life-giving routines I need to maintain or add to my life in order for me to be healthy. Also, Lord, I thank you for your grace. Help me to remember that healthy routines are about pursuit and not perfection. Help me to extend grace to myself. Most of all, I thank you for your presence in my life each day. Thank you for walking with me through this season and I ask that you awaken me to your presence by the Holy Spirit. 

Grow my heart for you and for others during this time.

In the name of Jesus my Savior I pray,

Amen.