Have you ever considered developing a 'Rule for Life' (ROL) to help you live more intentionally for God? Establishing a ROL is simply a way of ordering our lives around the practices, values, and relationships that keep us open and available to God. It helps to produce structure and space in our life to help us grow.
Anne Calhoun in her book, The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook - Practices That Transform Us describes a ROL as the regular rhythms we choose in order to present our bodies to God as our "spiritual act of worship." (Romans 12:1). Each rule or rhythm is a way we partner with God for the transformation only He can bring. ROL aren't burdensome and don't include a huge list of do's and don'ts.
Calhoun states that a ROL can act like a plumb line, allowing you a still point from which you can gauge the intentionality of your spiritual journey. My rule is found at the top of this blog...
RULE OF LIFE: Pray always... Work for Others... Read the Scriptures
Interested in creating your own ROL? Here are some basic questions to get your started:
- What do you currently do to realize your goals and longings? Work? Study? Pray? Socialize? Diet? Work out?
- Which of these things hinder and help your spiritual journey?
- Where do you want to change? Where do you feel powerless to change?
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help you do through grace what you cannot do on effort alone.
- Choose several disciplines that arise from your desire for God's transforming work and that suit the limits and realities of your life.
- Begin your practice.
