Routines

8 Sep

“Your day is pretty much formed by how you spend your first hour.  Check your thoughts, attitude, and heart.”  ~ Unknown

Routines matter greatly to us. They give us some grounding and make things feel more manageable and predictable.  We all have morning routines. Jokes have been made about them, skits have been created about them; however, they are quite real.  If we want to throw ourselves off kilter, all we need to do is vary our morning routine.  Our day will feel very strange to us if we do not do things in the right order at the very beginning of our day.  If you do not believe me, try to change things up tomorrow and tell me how you feel.

Yes, morning routines matter greatly.  That is why we are encouraged to make sure that our morning is not only about getting up, getting shaved and showered, fed and on our way.  We are also encouraged to put in some time for prayer, reflecting upon our upcoming day with God.

We cannot possibly expect to get through our day if we do not first visualize what needs to take place and prepare ourselves for it.  If we go into the day cold, the surprises that come our way might throw us off track and make for a less-than-productive day.  We need to prepare.

We also need to begin the day with God.  One of the quickest ways to throw a Christian off track is to forget or ignore God first thing in the morning.  When we do that, we, basically, are saying that we will take care of the day on our own, that we do not need God.

I don’t know about you; but, I need God.  I need Him in my life. I need Him to suggest options. I need Him to put words into my mouth.  I need Him to let me know that He is close. However, He can do none of those things if I do not invite Him and allow Him in.

Does your morning routine include time for God?  As soon as you wake up, do you thank Him for another day of life?  Do you dedicate your words and actions of the day to Him at the start of the day?  Do you invite Him to journey with you throughout the day?  Do you want to have a good day?  A great day?  A magnificent day?  Then, by all means, include God in your day.  After all, “Your day is pretty much formed by how you spend your first hour.  Check your thoughts, attitude, and heart.”

FAITH ACTION:  Examine your morning routine the next couple of days.  Make sure that you incorporate enough time with and for God.