Importance of routine

Barack Obama on the importance of routine:

You need to remove from your life the day-to-day problems that absorb most people for meaningful parts of their day… You’ll see I wear only grey or blue suits. I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make. You need to focus your decision-making energy. You need to routinize yourself. You can’t be going through the day distracted by trivia. (Source: Vanity Fair)

This is great advice on how to ensure that we keep our focus on things that matter and reduce the level of stress in our lives. Much of stress in our lives derives from having to make countless small decisions about things that have minimal importance. These things should at best be routine to reduce inefficient use of time.

But as I have reflected on this quote, I wonder whether there's actually another reason why routine matters. It seems to me that without routines we may not have the foundation to do much more important things. It is not always because the small things are "trivial". Rather it is usually the opposite reason. Life is made up of a series of small repeated actions. If we can get these right in a costless way that may have a huge impact on living fruitful generally.

Two of those important small things is daily prayer and bible reading. If we are to be fruitful there has to be a way in whch prayer and bible reading become routine. They become things that we don't have to make everyday decisions on. They just happen! And that is a very big deal!

Comments

Jesus Never Fails

Many a times in my life, the words of this childhood hymn has been a tremendous encouragement. I pray this may encourage you too. Keep looking to Jesus! Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails The man of the world will let you down, but Jesus never fails. Your mother will let you down Your father will let you down The man of the world will let you down, but Jesus never fails. Your husband will let you down Your wife will let you down The man of the world will let you down, but Jesus never fails Your brothers will let you down Your sisters-will let you down The man of the world will let you down, but Jesus never fails Your church will let you down Your work will let you down The man of the world will let you down, but Jesus never fails Your friends will let you down Your country will let you down The man of the world will let you down, but Jesus never fails Your wealth will let you down Your health will let you down The man of the world

KEEP READING →

White Fragility, A Review

Robin DiAngelo has a sermon to preach. It is in form of a short popular book called White Fragilit y. Straight off the bat she tells us not to expect balanced analysis but a forceful argument “unapologetically rooted in identity politics”. She understands identity politics as “the [political] focus on the barriers specific groups face in their struggle for equality”. The group she wants to save is black people, whom she blankets under “people of colour”. So what is White Fragility about? DiAngelo is sick and tired of white racism in the western world, and specifically the USA. She believes every white person, including babies, are guilty of racism by virtue of being white. So she wants to use her “insider status” as a white American woman to challenge this white racism by getting her fellow “white progressives” to force forward her thesis. In her words, “I am white...and I am mainly writing to a white audience”. I was immediately tempted to put down the book because being black Afri

KEEP READING →

Jesus, Love and Terrorists

I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you - LORD JESUS Is there a harder commandment in the Bible than this one? There is no escaping its force. Followers of Jesus are to love the people who not only oppose us intellectually but also people who willfully work and take pleasure in doing much harm to our bodies emotionally, physically and spiritually. Apostle Paul, a man who spent the early part of his life murdering followers of Jesus, later found forgiveness in Jesus. Jesus transformed him and in his letter to the church in Rome echoes the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them". Apostle Peter has the same words with a new twist, " Do not repay evil for evil...but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called". Peter says this posture of love for enemies is the very essence of being a follower of Jesus.

KEEP READING →

Lost Pages

Search This Blog