A KINGDOM ROUTINE

From Heart Rehab by Jerry Flowers Jr.

If you are a believer striving to grow in Christ, you’re not just a Christian who likes Jesus. You are trying to be Christlike. So, when we look at Jesus, we can observe that He had routines.

Luke 5:16 NIV says, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (emphasis mine). Earlier, in Luke 4:16, Jesus “came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read” (NKJV, emphasis mine). In these two passages of Scripture, we can already see that our King had routines.

Let’s look at more examples from Luke.

“Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him” (22:39, NKJV). Here we see that Jesus was accustomed to going to the Mount of Olives, and His disciples followed Him. The genesis of disciple­ship is for you to show other people a kingdom routine.

“He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him” (19:47, NKJV). This passage shows Jesus to be not just teaching but “teaching daily.”

These passages are just a few of the many examples in Scrip­ture demonstrating that Christ had routines. Jesus had patterns of teaching, of community, of discipleship, and of prayer.

Here’s the quintessential question to ask yourself: What is my routine?

If you need a new routine, how is that going to happen?

Galatians 6:7-10 says
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

New beginnings require old endings. If you want to truly say hello to something new, you have to say goodbye to something old. Why? Because the blessing of entry is tied to the sacrifice of exit.

Father, help me correct my actions before I create habits that don’t lead me to the place I need to be for my purpose. In Jesus’s name I pray, amen.