That Pesky First Amendment
Jerry Newcombe
Oh, the carefree days of summer. The hectic pace of life changes and the daily grind subsides. There is finally time for tasks and fun that we have not had time for the rest of the year. Yet, we often reach the end of the summer still feeling frazzled and disordered, with those “to-do list” items still incomplete. Rather than abandoning structure and responsibility completely, summer is the ideal time to implement much needed healthy routines before the fast-paced fall season resumes.
The irony is that we have a love-hate relationship with routines. In May we are exhausted by the demands of routine, but by August we long for the stability routines provide. Routines provide structure. We crave structure because we are made in image of God. The creation account exemplifies that God is logical and uses structure (e.g., water was created before fish). Structure promotes safety, such as traffic laws that everyone is to abide by. Structure reduces decision fatigue because fewer decisions are needed when we can just follow a set routine.
But we don’t just need routines; we need routines that promote health. Society encourages us to fill our lives with a “do more” and “make more” mentality. However, God instructs us that better living is found through stewarding well all that he is already providing us. Our Creator has made us to need certain elements to function optimally; therefore, using what he provides in a way that honors him is also inherently beneficial to you. Consider how well you are currently showing appreciation to our Provider God in these essential areas of healthy living: sleep, nutrition/hydration, exercise, mental health, relationships/community, and faith. The benefits are broad, including improved cognitive functioning, emotional resiliency, greater peace and happiness, improved athletic ability, weight loss, reduced risk of various diseases, interpersonal connection, and hope. When you are routinely taking care of the life God has given you, you are not only honoring God and benefiting yourself—others enjoy being around you more.
God instructs us that better living is found through stewarding well all that he is already providing us.
The basic logic of taking care of oneself is so obvious that failure to do so should be shocking; but quite to the contrary, some level of self-neglect is commonplace. As you and I and my psychotherapy clients can attest, the problem is implementing healthy routines that are also efficient. To establish routines, we need to know how to make them efficient from the very beginning.
Let’s consider four tips for evaluating and establishing healthy and efficient routines this summer.
The summer months offer more flexibility in our lives, which makes this time of year ideal for establishing new routines. By incorporating these four tips in new healthy routines, we can honor God, reap a multitude of inherent benefits, and be a more pleasant person to others in our lives. Now—before the busy pace resumes—what new routines will you set in place that honor God our Provider? Let’s each endeavor to live daily in such a way that our routines shout out, “Thank you, God!”
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