Think about your morning routine. The way you begin your day has a great impact on what you will accomplish that day as well as the ongoing attitude you will have throughout the day. Hence, there is a call today from many sources to look seriously at your morning routine and be ready to make some changes because it’s proven that your morning routine can make a great impact upon your level of performance, your stress level, your connectivity in relationships, as well as your overall physical, mental, and spiritual health. You would expect a person with any sense would be willing to do an assessment of what they do every morning, but not so. People get engrained in routine and find it hard to change. Therefore, most people are unwilling to take a close inspection of what they do every morning. Just as David described a ruler that would inspect his ways before God and seek God’s guidance in making right decisions, so taking a close assessment of our morning rituals needs the wisdom of God to see where we can improve.
2 Samuel 23:3–4 (ESV) — 3 The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, 4 he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.
But let’s say you are willing to look at your morning ritual. Where do you begin? It begins with what time you arise. More than the time of day, although that is important, the assessment should be how long you give yourself to prepare for the day before you head out the door. Too many people hit the floor in a rush because they have not allotted enough time to prepare without stress. The morning can be destressed if adequate preparation is made the night before. As God speaks as “wisdom personified” in Proverbs chapter 8, there is a reward for those who seek after God and His wisdom early rather than later.
Proverbs 8:17 (ESV) — 17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.
Those who know me well may be thinking that this is my outlet to promote getting up at 4:00 a.m. Well, it’s not a diatribe on getting up that early but it is worthwhile, if for no other reason than getting time for prayer, the reading of the Bible, and other disciplines while things are quiet and there are little to no interruptions. The time of your morning routine is important.
Genesis 19:27 (ESV) — 27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord.
This is not to imply that unless you get up real early in the morning, you are not pleasing God. However, we must go back to what Jesus said about following Him, which requires a life of discipline.
Luke 9:23 (ESV) — 23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Just like any change, when you see you need to make a change in the time you arise, it’s best to take it in small steps. Begin with arising 30 minutes earlier. Once you have adjusted to that time you are in a position of knowing you can do it.
The second thing to assess in your morning routine is what you are feeding your brain and your soul. Let’s face it, watching the news or forms of entertainment will not help either. Reading the word of God, praying, and expressing gratitude is known to be a very positive mental and spiritual balm as well as positive for you physically.
Psalm 63:1 (ESV) — 1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Psalm 108:2–5 (ESV) — 2 Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! 3 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. 4 For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!
Like adjusting the time in which you arise, so developing a routine centered around God in the reading and meditating upon His word, spending time in prayer, and expressing gratitude takes discipline and it’s best to adjust in increments. It does mean finding a plan for reading the Bible, having a designated place, and making the arrangements the night before. In other words, take away all the excuses. Remember there are three elements, and it doesn’t matter the order. Prayer, the Word of God, and gratitude. Many people like to keep a journal of things that pop out while reading, of prayer requests, and those things for which they are grateful. The point is simple. Give it time, adjust after a while, but always begin by asking God for help in bringing your mind into the moment with Him. With God’s help through the Holy Spirit, we can bring our wandering minds into the moment which means we may often have to cry out for help as you seek Him in desperation.
Psalm 102:17 (ESV) — 17 he regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer.
2 Corinthians 10:5 (ESV) — 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
The third thing about your morning routine is centered around what you are putting into your body. Too many people rely upon processed carbs eaten on the run. Let’s face it, that is no way to treat your body and prepare for the day. We are told that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, so we need to treat our bodies with care and that includes what we eat.
1 Corinthians 6:19 (ESV) — 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
The fourth thing to assess is how we treat our spouse and family. Many years ago, research found that those who were very affectionate upon departure had a tendency to earn more money. Realizing that should not be the motivation and it could be easy to fake, still there is truth in the impact of demonstrating love and appreciation. What if tragedy struck and this was the last thing you said or did for them? To live without regrets, say it now. Words of love, appreciation, and gratitude will pave the way for both parties to have a great day.
We can all do better. The Apostle Paul made sure the Philippian church knew he had not arrived, but he was willing to assess and make changes.
Philippians 3:12 (ESV) — 12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
Whatever you monitor matters. Does your morning routine matter to you? It impacts your entire day, so when you are willing to monitor and make changes it will not only change your day, it will change your life.
Godspeed,
Bob Brubaker, Pastor
Christ Community Presbyterian Church
Clearwater, FL
