“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.”
Genesis 1:1-3
In the opening chapter of the Bible, God brings order out of chaos. Later, God makes mankind in His image, and tells them to rule the creation, be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth by subduing it according to God’s design. As the Bible articulates, God’s design is to create…this creation has in its center an ordering.
Most everyone understands and appreciates the fact that chaos is bad and order is good. What’s more, we have largely been removed from the chaos of the external world. For instance, take shelter and water…there is the invention and utilization of indoor plumbing, of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning units, of slab-built and masonry constructed housing, etc. We could also talk of political, clothing, food, and medicinal conveniences. The point remains, there have been many instances where chaos has largely been mitigated from our world around us.
And so, many in first-world countries benefit from external order created by generations of forethought, sacrifice, and ingenuity.
However, while we benefit from these things, we can still face chaos in our own lives. This chaos, on the other hand doesn’t have to rule us. No, no. We have a say. We have a say on how we invest our time, our talents, and our treasures.
As we begin a new year, let me share how I invest my morning time. In reality, most of my life is built around routines. Sure, I have to be flexible, because life is dynamic. However, I can still bring order to my life by routines that guide me like seasons.
And so, as we begin 2021, let me share my morning routine that has been helpful for me to cultivate order instead of chaos each day.
- 5:30AM – the alarm goes off (I still need an alarm…I’m not one of those who wakes up without one. Further, I need at least 7 hours of sleep to feel rested and ready for the day. Thus, I’m aiming for bedtime to be before 10:00PM.
- I drink a full glass of water
- I pour a cup of coffee and some half-and-half
- I grab a small snack
- Next, I write in my morning journal
- Each journal has the following heading: day, date, time, and temperature
- I simply list prayers, events, or thoughts. The entry is usually 3-5 sentences.
- Start my Bible reading plan
- Next, I read the insight from DA Carson on the chapters I just read
- Then, I read from the Voices of the Past devotional
- Next, I read from Diary of Private Prayer
- Then, I read from a thought-provoking and spirit-lifting resource
- Right now, I’m reading the Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis
- Finally, I Pray
- As I’m led…
- I also use the following FamilyLife resources
- 6:30AM – I’m usually wrapped up in 1 hour
Upon finishing this AM routine, I get ready for my day, which may include a walk, but does include looking over the schedule, starting necessary communication, and then getting dressed for the day.
This obviously isn’t the only way to cultivate order instead of chaos, but it has been very helpful for me each day. There are changes to this routine based upon changes in the day, but this routine is my aim. If I miss, I’m not stressed, I adjust, and look forward to the next morning!
Do you have a morning routine? In what ways could one create order in your life?
Blessings on 2021!
— January 1, 2021