RULE OF LIFE

To establish a “Rule of Life” is to intentionally focus on deep spiritual transformation by making small adjustments in the way you live and think - determining in advance what your priorities will be, and that those priorities will be spiritual ones.

The rule of life is about “playing the long game” by building long-term habits that help you grow in Christ, and that will be evidenced in noticeable changes in your behavior, disposition, and love for others. 

PRACTICE THE HABITS

DAILY HABITS:

  • Scripture Before Screens: Refuse to check your phone until you have ingested God’s Word is one way of replacing the question “what do I need to do today” with “who am I, and who am I becoming?” Daily and prioritized immersion in God’s Word helps you resist the unhealthy emotions that can sometimes be triggered by email, news media, and social media.

    For Bible-reading plans, we recommend He Reads Truth (found here) and She Reads Truth (found here).

  • Morning and Evening Prayer and Silence: Set a two-minute timer and simply be still before God. As you try to speak to Him, remember He is your heavenly Father, anxious to hear from you. If you still aren’t sure how to get started, try praying the Scriptures. We recommend a resource by the Navigators found here.

  • Schedule an Hour Each Day That Is “Phone-Free”:  Even when present with others, our phones make us absent. Attention and focus are acts of love toward ourselves and others. 

  • One Shared Meal:  Making time for one communal meal per day forces us to reorient our schedules and our space. When the table becomes a place where we are nourished both physically and relationally, it becomes a healthy center that attracts others.

WEEKLY HABITS:

  • Sabbath:  Sabbath isn’t just physically necessary (our bodies were not created to endure non-stop activity), it raises our awareness that God sustains the world, not us.  Our lives are owed to what God has accomplished for us, not what we have accomplished for ourselves. The particular day does not matter (Covenant staff take Friday, Saturday, or Monday on rotation because we know Sunday is a “work day” for us), but the principle of Sabbath is that one-seventh of your week should look very different from the rest, and should be planned in a way that allows you to re-charge physically, and be renewed spiritually.

  • Curate Media:  Resisting the constant stream of addictive media with hard limits (we suggest no more than 1 hour per day) requires the curation of what you will read and watch. Seek stories that uphold beauty, that teach us to love justice, and that turns us toward love of neighbor.

  • Church Community:  Make a commitment—weekly—to assemble physically with your church family. We need the Word of God (Jesus and Scripture), and we need the Spirit of God. But we also need the people of God. Gather regularly to worship Jesus along with your family and friends, hear the proclamation of God’s Word, and serve. It makes all the difference in the world.

SCHEDULED HABITS: (These may be done monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, or annually depending on one’s life practices)

  • Fasting:  Plan an occasional fast—a period of time in which you purposefully abstain from meals and in their place seek the Lord in prayer, Scripture reading, silence, and meditation.

  • Retreat:  Take an afternoon, or an overnight trip, or a weekend with your spouse, to get away and be spiritually refreshed. This can be as simple as a few hours walking in the woods, or as elaborate as a weekend marriage conference.

  • Special Event:  Whether it’s a Christian concert or conference, invest in yourself by attending an event where you can simply receive what God has for you.