Actual Food — Three “R’s”

Sustenance for The Spirit

This has been a long week. You’ve probably had them too….those weeks that seem to last a month. I was trying to determine why it has felt like such a long week and the best answer I could come up with, is that I have been out of my usual routine. My work days have been different, I was out-of-town for a day, and it has had a definite negative impact on my ability to sleep and rest. It’s normal for me to fight being a night owl, and in a week of change, it seems to be worse than normal. The situation has made me aware of how much my routine affects my restfulness, and being unable to rest as needed, affects the overall rhythm of my life.

I believe science backs me up in that a bedtime routine is very helpful for falling asleep and getting good rest during sleep, but I’ve never really considered how much daytime restfulness is affected. I’m not referring to taking naps during the day, although I do feel they are helpful, but a calmer, generally more peaceful attitude toward everything we encounter through our day. When we fall into a rhythm that is familiar, we feel more stable, and more confident in our control, limited as it is. I would even go so far as to say that life in rhythm has a spirituality to it. We are more “in sync” with God’s patterns for our lives. When our routine gets disrupted, and exhaustion becomes a factor, our rhythm is disrupted. Our quality of life is wounded, hopefully only in a mild, band-aid fix way. Getting back to a routine might be a good prescription.

In Acts 17 we read of the agitation of mobs of people in Thessalonica and Berea, and then Athens. The people were opposing Paul and his gospel message, and of course Paul was not backing down. Athens was full of philosophers, their fans, many “gods”, and their fans, so Paul saw it as a golden opportunity to teach about Jesus and God’s plan of grace. But, he had to approach it carefully. Paul was apparently a pretty smart guy because he knew enough about the various philosophical ideologies that he could stylize his oration to fit the audience. He quotes Epimenides, a Cretan philosopher, in verse 28, “For in him we live and move and have our being.” What better way to calm a crowd full of ideas. Give them something they’re used to, something they’re familiar with, something routine, one of their own ideas. Especially when it connects them to spirituality.

Acts 17:28 is probably my favorite verse to help de-stress. It reminds me that my spirit is connected to the Spirit of God as I move through my day. And I need to remember, even when my routine is out of whack, or perhaps, especially when my routine is out of whack. It is a restful scripture, even if it’s origin is a Cretan philosopher. Paul quotes it to calm the crowd and connect their thoughts to a God much greater than any represented by their multitude of statues. In his discourse, Paul has already pointed out the altar “To An Unknown God.” (Acts 17:23, NIV) He’s only making them aware of what they already thought they knew, that there is only one true God.

We can easily get carried away, just like the Athenians, in ideas and philosophies, and lose sight of the most apparent and most important. They needed Paul to bring them to truth and reality. They needed the routine of God’s plan, the rest in His grace and the rhythm of living in truth. Living in the three “R’s” of routine, rest and rhythm gives us peace. We know there’s many things beyond our control, but quite often we can force ourselves into a better routine, leading to more and better rest, resulting in good spiritual rhythm. For me, routine is basic. When I have an extra-long week I’m reminded again how important it is. In routine, I can more aptly “live and move and have my being” with the one true God of love and grace. It sounds like a great way to go through the day.

Enjoy moving through your day!