The Importance of Routine

It has been WAY to long since my last blog post, and in actual fact I am quite ashamed to admit that, as it can well be assumed that this is a reflection of my lack of interest, or pure lack of time. None of these, however, are good excuses as there should be never ending possibilities for things for me to write about. The life of a Christian is never boring, and one can never get to a stage where they can say "I've done enough, I know God, and now I can sit back." Knowing God is a continual process, a process that requires continual work, continual bible study, and continual prayer. And its for this reason that I'm writing again (also, I must admit that I was kindly reminded by someone the other day that I hadn't written for almost two months. Thats a little too long :-/ ).

So, why 'The Importance of Routine'? Well, maybe you have guessed, but I have a weakness when it comes to sticking to routine. This is not at all healthy with respect to routine bible study/meditation. Now maybe you don't have this problem, and then I am very glad for you, and I thank God for you, but   it's also possibly that you have the same struggle as I; hence, 'The Importance of Routine'.

One of the main characteristics of a living Christian is that they are busy with God's word, working with it daily, searching the scriptures to grow in faith and knowledge of God.

I want to emphasise the daily bit here. In the Old Testament God commanded that Aaron and his sons sacrifice an offering daily. 'This is the offering of Aaron and his sons...one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a daily grain offering, half of it in the morning and half of it at night.' (Lev 6:20) As part of their service to God, Aaron and his sons were required to give a daily offering to God. By completing this task they were daily reminded of their sins, their incompleteness before God, and the need for a retribution to be made on their behalf. With the offering came an acknowledgement of sins, a looking towards God. And note also, that the offering was given twice a day. Thus, Aaron and his sons would have their focus on God throughout the entire day, from morning til evening.

So what does this offering have to do with us? We don't make sacrifices today? Do we?

Today there is no physical sacrifice, but God calls us to be a living sacrifice. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is you reasonable service." (Romans 12:1)

We must present ourselves as sacrifices of thankfulness to God. And why thankfulness? Because The offering for our sins has been made. Christ was the offering and sacrifice. He has atoned your sins and mine. We read in Hebrews 10:12-14 "But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God...For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." 

So then, if Christ is our offering, does it not make sense that we remember that offering daily through bible study and prayer? How can we better know about Christ and His sacrifice if we do not spend regular meditation on God's word?

While Christ's one sacrifice is enough to cover all our sins, we are called to daily repentance.

Psalm 72:15 - "Prayer also will be made for Him continually, and daily He shall be praised." 

Luke 9:23 - "Then He said to them all, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.'"

Being a Christian is not a once off conversion, nor a once in a while attendance at church. Neither is it a non-commital attitude towards bible study (whether at church or personally).

Being a Christian is an active task. It requires daily meditation, daily prayer, and daily time searching the scriptures, listening to what God has to tell you.

And what better way is there to make sure this happens than by ensuring you have a routine?