Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Taking every thought captive for obedience to Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 10.3-5).

Disciplines
Routines, Habits, and Disciplines
Jonathan Edwards wrote that time is the Christian’s most precious possession. Paul would agree, since he commands us to “make the most” of the time God gives us each day (Eph. 5.15-17). The time of our lives flows to us immediately from the throne of Christ, moment by moment, before we “spend” it, and it returns to Him from Whom it came.

As the Lord indicates in the parable of the talents, He intends His servants to improve all the gifts He gives them so that He might receive a return on His investment. In the case of time, the challenge is for us to make the best use of this gift in seeking God’s Kingdom and righteousness, so that we use all the time of our lives for knowing the glory of God and making it known (2 Cor. 3.12-18; 1 Cor. 10.31; Hab. 2.14).

The activities with which we fill the time of our lives are, for the most part, fairly routine. By “routine” I don’t mean “unimportant.” They’re just the things we do over and over, day-in and day-out – the habits and disciplines which occupy us along the “route” we are traveling in life.

Because so much of the time of our lives is filled with these routines, we should make sure that we have adopted the best habits and disciplines to ensure that we make the most of our time for God’s glory. And there is no shortage of help these day to guide us, at least in the area of habit-formation.

Habit-formation is big business, and it has been for more than two centuries. Ben Franklin was one of the first of the modern era to recommend the studied development of certain core practices, or habits, designed to shape one into a respectable and productive person. The late Steven R. Covey is probably the habit guru most familiar to our generation (The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People). According to Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen, enthusiasm for mastering the best habits is not likely to abate any time soon (“The lost hope of self-help,” Aeon, 23 February 2016).

A habit is a “learned behavior repeated so often that it becomes involuntary.” We can agree with Ms. Ratner-Rosenhagen that we all need good habits, but good habits alone are not enough. In addition to habits we need disciplines, repeated practices that require conscious exertion and are amenable to continuous improvement. Adopting good habits is one thing. Adding on top of that the best disciplines can be a bit more daunting.

Habits contribute to disciplines, while disciplines build on and combine habits into specific functions or activities that determine the shape and course of our lives. Reading is a habit. Reading Scripture with meditation and prayer is a discipline. Greeting people is a habit. Getting to know them and taking the time to converse is a discipline. Going to work is a habit. Working in all things as unto the Lord and for the glory of God requires discipline.

Columbanus (d. 615 AD), quoting Hebrews 12.11, wrote, “All discipline for the present seems to be a matter not of joy but of sorrow; nevertheless, afterwards it yields a pleasant fruit and peaceful increase of reward to those who are exercised by it.” Growing in Christian disciplines, he insisted, “is the training of all training.”

Overarching and guiding both habits and disciplines we need a moral and spiritual outlook that will turn those habits and disciplines to Kingdom progress – the vision of Christ and His Kingdom. For the Christian, habits and disciplines are about how we use the precious time God grants us each day. Are we improving that time, each moment, as Edwards insisted we must? Or are too many of the moments God gives us slipping through our fingers and failing their Kingdom purpose, simply because we haven’t learned the disciplines necessary for making the best use of our time?

The disciplines we embrace and practice derive from the vision that governs our lives. The clearer and more compelling our vision of God and His Kingdom, the more effective will be our habits and disciplines in enabling us to realize more of that Kingdom’s presence, promise, and power in every area of our lives.

Don’t take time for granted; make sure the time of your life is filled up with the habits, disciplines, and routines that will allow Jesus Christ to fill your life with His presence and power (Eph. 4.10).

For reflection

1.      How confident are you that the disciplines by which you live are the right and best ones for you?

2.      How would you explain to an unbelieving friend or co-worker what it means for you to “make the most” of your time?

3.      You might like to review the ReVision series on “The Disciplined Life” for more insight on the kinds of disciplines which can help us seek the Kingdom and righteousness of Christ more consistently.

T. M. Moore

What fills up the time of your life? Write to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and I’ll send you a worksheet designed to help you identify the routines, habits, and disciplines that fill your time each week.

The Week features insights from a wide range of topics and issues, with a view to equipping the followers of Christ to take every thought captive for Jesus. For more help in developing a clearer vision of Christ and His Kingdom, we’re pleased to offer two books. You can order the book Be Thou My Vision, 28 days of devotional readings, together with meditations, by clicking here, and The Kingship of Jesus is available by clicking here.